I really am not a fan of the EK A380 Y; the bird is so big it takes forever to load (unloading not an issue as have always been in the first 10 or so rows), luggage can take an age to get on the belt, and service on board is average or below IME. It truly feels like a huge number of people on board. And, good Y seats with extra leg room are like hen's teeth. If I could catch a 6:50pm QF 737 flight I would...
TBH I am not sure whether I am comparing the 9 or 10 abreast... But I've always managed to get a seat that is only two across on the window side, either at the front of Y or right down the back. And I think your point re: benefits of status on Air NZ is spot on, and part of the reason I made the comment about why would you want to switch? I got a status match from VA a few years ago and experienced the benefits of premium eco seats or space plus seats on NZ for a couple years and that is hard to beat.