FL200 at 30NM was salvageable on the MD80, without doing anything radical, and you were stabilized in time. Happened to us quite a lot in the Canaries at the time, with their uhh... "special" ATC..
The only reason for NOT doing it and asking for more track miles was that the cabin crew would complain that the nose-down deck angle would make it difficult to stow the last trolleys and check the cabin..
No chance on an Airbus though..