quote Vilas :
"If the pilots of AF447 and QZ8501 knew the pitch, bank and thrust autopilot uses at those levels they wouldn't have done what they did"
You are absolute right Vilas
Knowing required PITCH + POWER SETTING at high altitude is essential !
And that is for all commercial aircraft.
I have made it a habit, when reaching a new FL at cruise, to look at pitch + power
If things start to seriously bad at high altitude = as PF stick to the memorized PITCH + POWER, and then start to solve the problem(s)
If you are an Airbus pilot, I highly recommend reading the book : "Understanding AF447". It contains so much valuable information, and will probably leave you sleepless for some nights, thinking about how fast things can go fatally wrong. As this accident is proof of.