Thanks @kaushik123 I'm looking at booking class W which seems upgradable and earns on UA. Are you saying all 777 can't be upgraded? We will do SFO-ICN which is the leg that I am most concerned with. I was hoping to transfer UA miles to Kris if all fails.

@paullevi thanks for the response, but have to disagree..
pinching pennies allows me to plan many more trips in a year. Last summer I spent $15k for a trip to Bora Bora, after finding FT and a few other sites, I've come to realize that I could have done the same trip for probably 1/2 the cost out of pocket.

Also, beyond just saving $ I am interested in learning the best way to construct the most advantageous fare.