7700 is the same for MAYDAY or PAN so it removes the dialectic nuances of is it really a MAYDAY or only a PAN and with modern surveillance systems is far more effective than an R/T call.
No argument, but I haven't seen or heard in any of the briefings or comms references as to whether SW1380 squawked 7700 or not. Does anyone know? Isn't it a checklist item for an emergency descent along with some of the other things that were going on here?