Nothing makes a transpacific flight better than confirmed upgrades after you click “purchase”. Usually, my upgrades clear from within a few days of the flight to an hour before. Suffice to say, it’s usually pretty stressful right before the flight.
I have to fly US based airlines, so the experience is usually south of awful, if your upgrades don’t clear. If they do, the business class experience is tolerable but doesn’t come close to matching the onboard service experience of world class airlines.
This last trip was upgraded immediately after purchase so it was one of the less stressful flights I’ve taken. Since I’m an Executive Platinum, I receive a number of Systemwide Upgrades each year to be applied on overseas flights. Which so far has been pretty good. What’s even better is access to the first class lounge at LAX. Best lounge in the USA.