we do get a regular personalised breakdown of how much "excess" fuel we decide to carry on each sector and whether it was actually used...
IMHO if any excess fuel was used it was because it was necessary and therefore not excess. I suspect you are referring to excess fuel above minimum FPL fuel. That calculation does not take into account non-ideal parameters such as weather, traffic flow, ATC/NAV facilities, etc. etc. I took 'extra' fuel as an insurance for some or all of these factors. I would not have been surprised to use some or all of it. It was for me the minimum required to do the job safely. There was none for Mum & the kids, it was all for me & the pax.
If it turned out to be an ideal day with no hiccups then my 'insurance' fuel stayed as an unpaid-out policy premium; but I landed relaxed and unstressed. There have been occasions where the policy paid out and it was still relaxed. That's what sensible insurance does for you.
Last edited by RAT 5; 2nd Dec 2016 at 12:35.