I can't comment too much since I really didn't read this thread. I didn't know it was on AP all the way. However I don't think that diving to best glide from 700 ft would have resulted in better range. I always thought all airliners train 'loss of all engines'. Best glide obviously depends on weight. If it happens on short final, your speed isn't going to make a difference, you will *never* make it to the runway (unless you're in a glider a/c ofcourse). Don't even try it. Better spent some time with looking outside and find a nice place to ditch/land. That's exactly what these guys did; finding a nice place. Unfortunately that place is not always ahead of you. The time it took me to write this message is more time than the BA crew had to analyze what the f*ck was happening and what to do. The job they did resulted in a survivable outcome. If a better result was possible, I will be most pleased to read about it in my comfy arm chair, enjoying my drink, when the report comes out :-)