I received the free Business ticket award to any destination this year and want to take my Dad with me on a business trip. I've booked LAX-ORD-AMS-IAD-LAX because I found an award seat available in C. I usually travel the long-haul portion direct to LHR or FRA to take advantage of the better seats, etc., but I figured since I was lucky enough to get the award, I should be happy that we were even travelling together.

So here's the dilemma... I'm so spoiled on F class (upgrade from C using SWU) that I don't know if I can sit next to him in C. Just doing the domestic portions in domestic F is bad enough, but I don't know if I can handle the int'l segments. I have already confirmed my upgrades (to F) on the int'l portions and have selected seats for us that are near each other on both flights (2e/5e on the 767 and 3f/8h on the 777).

Is this good enough? My dad has flown domestic F twice in his life and will be stoked just to be in Int'l C. I plan to sleep on the AMS flight (although I'm bummed this plane doesn't have suites), so I won't be talking to him anyway. I then plan to let him take my F seat on the way back -- even though this is typically my (in-seat) movie watching flight.

Is splitting up the right answer? Is F even worth it on these flights (from SFO or LAX, the answer is yes, but these are shorter and I've never taken this route)? Am I going to hell?

More importantly, is there any way I can get my Dad into F on these flights, so we can sit together? The award is obviously non-upgradeable and I don't know any other tricks.