Thanks all for your suggestions. Hats off to BA if they can sell all those tickets!

I'm traveling with wife and child, so the monetary difference is not insignificant. AJLondon thanks for the suggestions, but (1) unfortunately SFO-LON in J + LON-MIL in Y offers worse pricing, (2) I don't have 75,000 BA miles to spare, so option (3) is the only one remaining.

VS does not publish through fares to MIL, adding an extra segment when traveling with child is out of the question, and what's I am left with is indecision between LH's new business class "Private Beds" through MUC (but the connection is on a CRJ) or AF's new business class "New Concept" (but you have to connect through CDG hell and baggage is most likely to misconnect like in LHR) -- both at a $2600/head savings (less for the child).

And no, BA Loyal, these options are not that inferior to BA: we're not talking United or AA here (2 Skytrax stars), but A340s with brand new lie-flat (although slightly angled) seats (4 Skytrax stars vs. BA's 5 stars) and good service, probably comparable to BA, and LH even offers internet access which BA does not.

I've excluded CO's business first as it's at an awful schedule for us West coast types: it departs at 8:00, arriving at 22:55 internal body time or 07:55 local, forcing you to skip a full night of sleep and have a full day to stay awake in order to abate jet lag.