You more then deserve the experience of a Long Distance First Class flights at least once on an Asian airline to make the best use of your miles with or without a co-pay. @:-)
Flying in Economy to Asia is really not the way to travel comfortably and arrive far more rested for a more enjoyable trip. You can always continue flying Economy for shorter duration Domestic travel without the great expense.

Even Business Class would be a major improvement for Long Distance flights and not to be laughed at, if you are short miles for a roundtrip First Class booking. ^