Narrative:

Flight was planned to arrive sfo with 5100 pounds of fuel due to high headwinds and full aircraft out of ZZZ. In a predeparture phone conversation with the dispatcher we discussed the improbability that we would be able to reach sfo with the flight planned fuel load. It was decided prior to departure that we would use las as a refueling stop in the event that the fuel burn en route started to exceed the flight planned burn. We arrived over goodland; ks; only 100 pounds behind on the planned burn at FL360. However; den ARTCC advised us that there was continuous moderate turbulence and moderate mountain waves reported over the mountains of colorado. They added that everyone was descending to below FL310 due to the turbulence. We started to encounter the moderate turbulence shortly after passing gld. We descended to FL300. It became obvious that reaching sfo with sufficient fuel was now impossible. I coordinated with dispatcher and we requested a change in destination with den ARTCC to las. I promised the passengers that we would only be on the ground about 20 minutes as all we required was to be refueled and get a new release. Sadly; the station at las let us down. No one seemed to know we were coming or why we were there. We waited 30 minutes for the fueler to show up. It took an hour to get out of las. Eventually we departed las for sfo. Next time I will just preplan a stop in kansas city. They are much better at handling fuel stops than las was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 PLANNED WITH MINIMUM FUEL FOR TRANSCONTINENTAL TRIP MUST DIVERT FOR FUEL WHEN MOUNTAIN WAVE AND TURBULENCE FORCE DESCENT TO LESS EFFICIENT ALT.

Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED TO ARRIVE SFO WITH 5100 LBS OF FUEL DUE TO HIGH HEADWINDS AND FULL ACFT OUT OF ZZZ. IN A PREDEPARTURE PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE DISPATCHER WE DISCUSSED THE IMPROBABILITY THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH SFO WITH THE FLIGHT PLANNED FUEL LOAD. IT WAS DECIDED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE THAT WE WOULD USE LAS AS A REFUELING STOP IN THE EVENT THAT THE FUEL BURN ENRTE STARTED TO EXCEED THE FLIGHT PLANNED BURN. WE ARRIVED OVER GOODLAND; KS; ONLY 100 LBS BEHIND ON THE PLANNED BURN AT FL360. HOWEVER; DEN ARTCC ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURBULENCE AND MODERATE MOUNTAIN WAVES REPORTED OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO. THEY ADDED THAT EVERYONE WAS DESCENDING TO BELOW FL310 DUE TO THE TURBULENCE. WE STARTED TO ENCOUNTER THE MODERATE TURBULENCE SHORTLY AFTER PASSING GLD. WE DESCENDED TO FL300. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT REACHING SFO WITH SUFFICIENT FUEL WAS NOW IMPOSSIBLE. I COORDINATED WITH DISPATCHER AND WE REQUESTED A CHANGE IN DESTINATION WITH DEN ARTCC TO LAS. I PROMISED THE PASSENGERS THAT WE WOULD ONLY BE ON THE GROUND ABOUT 20 MINUTES AS ALL WE REQUIRED WAS TO BE REFUELED AND GET A NEW RELEASE. SADLY; THE STATION AT LAS LET US DOWN. NO ONE SEEMED TO KNOW WE WERE COMING OR WHY WE WERE THERE. WE WAITED 30 MINUTES FOR THE FUELER TO SHOW UP. IT TOOK AN HOUR TO GET OUT OF LAS. EVENTUALLY WE DEPARTED LAS FOR SFO. NEXT TIME I WILL JUST PREPLAN A STOP IN KANSAS CITY. THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AT HANDLING FUEL STOPS THAN LAS WAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.