If you are paying for your ticket see below. If you are booking an award ticket in a premium cabin -- try for NZ which you can book at C reward levels. Of if you really want to splurge go for F on SQ.

In September I flew UA to SYD. I used a corporate discount to buy paid C. It was cheaper for me to route JFK-LAX-SYD-LAX-PHL than PHL on both ends. It worked out well. Took a car service to JFK and flew PS to LAX. I traded on CC for SWUs and upgraded both ways to F. UA C is ok and quite honestly th F product can't touch some other carriers (SQ, LH, etc.) but for me it was all about the seat. The flat UA F suite makes a huge difference for the 14 hour flight. On the JFK-LAX leg we were served dinner. Spent a few hours in the LAX IFL and then had dinner number 2 once we were airborne LAX-SYD. After dinner took an Ambien and slept 9 hours! Woke up watched a movie had breakfast and shortly thereafter landed in SYD at 6am local. Was able to stay awake all day and get to sleep around 10pm.

Same on the return. Had a late lunch on the flight SYD-LAX and slept another 9 hours. LAX-PHL had dinner and was able to sleep shortly after arrival.

The only funny thing as it relates to mileage accrual: Since I was paid C I earned 125% EQMs and RDMs for JFK-LAX, LAX-SYD, and SYD-LAX. The LAX-PHL segment was booked in "A" on the paid C ticket and earned 150% EQMs and RDMs. It's kind of funny that on a much more expensive C ticket you earn more miles on a domestic F segment than on PS with 3-class service or on the long-haul with 3-class service. And on top of all of this I earned the CP 100% bonus on UA metal.