Everybody seems to be avoiding the biggest question

Which airline has availability.

All of these are useless if you can not use your miles, or special system wide coupons.

From my little experience I tend to think that of the US airlines flying to Europe, probably:

UA - has best availability so you might want to go with them. They also have many flights to Asia if that is also where you would like to go internationally

AA - probably number two for avaialbility. Rather weak in Asia though

NW / DL / CO - definitely at the bottom from the seats I was searching. However recently I found a slew of flights DTW-CDG that had upgradable space a plenty.

Maybe others can chime in here, but AVAILABILITY is pretty limited on some carriers especially if you are looking at bringing a business partner, friend or spouce along with you. A couple of friends - a real challenge....

Alternatively, once you hit 25k with UA, you'll get unlimited* complimentary Economy Plus seating on both Domestic & International Travel (*Subject to availability!)

Can you please elaborate this further, so if you are united elite with 25k in one year, you can get into economy plus complimentary? and do you know how is availibility with that?
thanks

On Continental you can buy almost discounted air fare and then upgrade. Continental charges a sliding scale depending on the class. If an upgrade is not available when you reserve, you will be put on a waiting list (if available). You will not be charged until the upgrade clears. The miles are automatically deducted from your account but are replaced if you do not get upgraded. Everytime I have been waitlisted for an upgrade, it has cleared (and I am only the lowest class elite). Continental offers free upgrades on flights to the Caribbean and South America (I know you didn't ask). Unfortunately, they don't fly to Dubai and these wonderful upgrades are available only on Continental fights, not partner flights.

Yes, you do get E+ once you earn 25k EQM miles. If you do not have status, you can buy e+ access for $300/year. If you are switching over to United, it may be worth paying the $300 to get access to e+ seats during the first 25k miles.

Oliver

PS Access to e+ seats is great!

PPS However, economy plus only buys you a better seat. Same service/food as economy.

As Explore SE Asia correctly points out, the service/food is the same as normal Economy, you simply get more legroom. My idea was simply to highlight that you could have a better seat while you worked your way up to 1K, when you would then get the Int'l upgrades that you specifically asked about.

I've always found E+ availability to be good, even more so when you consider I'm not actually a member of UA's MP! My luck so far in 2007 could simply be down to the routes (to/from Heathrow on 777's) or the times I've flown. The only times I've struggled have been on domestic legs (normally to ORD). Hopefully a proper UA elite will be able to tell you of their experiences with E+.

Czech Airlines OK Plus would have been a good choice for you. They give their elites free unlimited systemwide upgrades (including long-haul). But they just stopped flying to DXB...

IMHO elite benefits, reward options, and premium cabins are all better on the major carriers outside the US. the only negative i see is typically worse expiration policies.

with OP going from USA to DXB, id say EK or EY for status and their nonstops out of JFK would be things to consider.

Gnopps, youre saying unlimited upgrades on KE, AF, KL?? i cant seem to find anything regarding that on their US website.

As a 1K on UA I always have access to E+ and they try to "block" the middle seat when they are able as well. The space is nice and definitely a lot more space than non E+. Booking an exit row gives more space leg wise than in F.

As far as food/drink - not sure which UA you folks are flying (at least domestically)

Nope, systemwide on OK. Afaik they are the only carrier doing this.

sorry, i dont understand what you mean...

doesnt systemwide mean alliance partners?

Systemwide as I understand it will mean all routes a specific airline flies.

ah!

doesn't UA also do those kinds of upgrades though?

Many airlines do, but I believe OK is the only one having both free and unlimited status upgrades on all their network, i.e. including long haul routes.

But how to get to DXB sitting in Economy Plus? UA doesn't go there, does it? How close? (That was the OP's question, and BA does go US<->DXB via LHR, and both are longhaul so both have premium economy. UA may have premium economy everywhere it goes on its owm metal, but AFAIK it requires changing to LH (or another *A partner) to go beyond Germany, and does LH have matching premium economy that UA elites can access??)