Jose wrote:

Happens less now. I generally file IFR unless there is a specific
reason to file VFR beyond CAVU. Why give up the extra eyes for
traffic,extra traffic separation standards, airspace management (MOA,
prohibited, restricteed obstacle avoidance), and TFR avoidance
services unless there is a clear advantage to not filing.


Time, range, and convetion. VFR you can usually go direct. IFR you get
routed around willy nilly so you use more gas and time, and require
reserves to an alternate plus forty five minutes after a non-direct
flight. Sometimes this makes a one leg flight into two legs, and the
VFR option is better (even from a safety POV).

In my limited experience I've had the opposite experience flying into a
class B. I was once with a flight of several airplanes on a CAVU day,
they all filed IFR and i went VFR. I took off first and landed last at
the destination (all planes the same type, so no speed differences).
Once I got near the busy area, I had to wait outside the class B until
they had time for me, while my IFR peers went right in. Once into the
class B I got a lot more circuitous vectoring than my IFR peers. They
basically tried to keep me as far away as they could for as long as
possible because they were busy with IFR traffic.