A thousand apologies if this has been covered already; I did what I think was a pretty thorough search. (And even sorrier for not using all the fancy fare codes and whatnot.)

So, I'm going to India next winter (ORD > DEL and then BOM > ORD). Just LOOKING at the duration of those flights makes me wanna pop a Xanax, especially that potential BOM > EWR leg (16 hours!!!). I've lucked into an international upgrade occasionally in the past, so I can fully appreciate how much better it makes a long haul flight. However, I have no designs on being upgraded.

My question here is about buying a business class ticket outright versus purchasing an upgrade on top of a discount fare. Plainly, which is cheaper? And is there any rhyme or reason (is the cost of an upgrade basically the same as the fare difference between the two types of tickets? Can I designate only certain legs — I don't really need biz class from ORD to EWR, for example.)

Also, Do the additional benefits of a business class ticket (bonus redeemable and EQM miles) apply if you purchase an upgrade? And related (but not), does anyone know if Lufthansa allows you to purchase an upgrade (if so, all the same questions apply.)

Finally, can anyone offer any particular insights on the Business Class cabins of United's 777s from EWR to India and ORD to Germany (anything other than that EWR flight will result in code shares, plus I did Business on a 777 from ORD > MUC and was unimpressed with the non-flat seats.) Thoughts on Lufthansa and Swiss' business cabins would be appreciated too.

Thanks in advance for your help. I learn so much from you guys!