If I had my druthers, I would rather be told earlier than later. The wonderplanes do not like coming down. It is either idle and save gas, using IAS to bleed energy, or chuck out the boards and end up wasting all the fuel you have been hoarding.
It can work - my thanks to the Muscat controller who co-ordinated my request to delay descent. My crew finished up nicely, I had an idle descent to the glidepath, following the purple line. Very satisfying and economical!
Just my pen'orth.
