Hi everyone, thanks for the advice. I decided to open a Skywards account and put the miles there. I ended up getting 32000+ miles (because there were accelerator awards). I was considering just putting them in my united account, but I found out that I will probably be invited back later in the year. So in that case, it will be worth having an account (and status) with Emirates.

Again, thanks for your help. I will have to make sure I get those bonus miles for opening an account and flying business class within the first 6 months!