I wonder how many miles you have and when you are going. I just kept checking for my dates and I eventually got business elite MSY-ATL-JNB for 250,000 miles. I'm going in January. Maybe I could have waited and got it for even less, but I was happy. I think it is worth a reasonable amount of miles to skip the stop in Europe...If you are traveling after me, I will have a trip report but obviously not until February.

I see no benefit to going such a distance in economy, "premium" or otherwise, but maybe you have someone traveling with you who refuses to spring for business. I had a similar problem with a relative. I have finally told her that I am postponing the trip until we build up some more miles. It is just too far for me to go in economy.