Notwithstanding the fact that fuellers are unwilling to resell fuel that has been offloaded, at carriers' home bases, I could envisage centre tanks being emptied entirely prior to refuel as a result of this, though greater fuel line heating throughout flight may be the answer.
However, as the AAIB point out, the flight profiles were extremely rarely encountered - I would like to know how rarely they have been encountered on back to back sectors as in this case in their next report.
Regarding flap - from day 1 of flying training in single-engine piston aircraft, people are taught to get rid of drag flap upon engine failure to stretch the glide.
Anyone commenting here who questions the elimination of drag flap should, I feel, return to the basic books and relearn what they clearly have forgotten. It was neither a typical glider whose aerofoils are distinctly differently designed, nor a procedure for which they had trained - the instinctive response is to be applauded.
Drag flap permits a combination of more rapid speed decay without power, and a more suitable deck angle at final approach. Perhaps if someone has a suitable 777 graph, this pointless diversion to the thread can be put to rest?
NoD puts it best:
As has been pointed out elsewhere, most airliners on a go-around call for an immediate reduction of flap setting by one or even 2 stages - yet no increase in datum speed. Again, reason is pronounced reduction in drag (increased climb performance) with little reduction in lift.