I don't know if this will help you, but if you have an AmEx Platinum card and book business or first class trans-oceanic tickets through them, you can take a companion free on several airlines. Probably not enought time left for you to get the card now if you don't already have one, but if that sounds useful and you're going to do it again in the future it may be worth the $300 per year (minus the fee for the AmEx card you probably do have).

Most airlines will give you a 25 or 50 percent class of service mileage bonus. Depending on the program, flying in front may also get you to elite status quicker. AA, for example, bases one of its three elite qualification methods on "points" where business class flights accrue 1.25 points per mile. AA also has some bonuses going now for their Sabena and Swissair code-shares if you don't mind changing in their respective hubs. (More details on the AA web site, or ask a question in that forum.)