gl69,
leaps and bounds better than Emirates in every category? I think that's a bit of a stretch. They both have their positives and negatives. Off the top of my head I can think of several categories where EK exceeds the US carriers.
-Hotel quality
-Variety of destinations
-Cabin Crew
-Time to command
-Onboard product/service
But the pay vs cost of living in Dubai, not to mention the lack of job protections, might make a US legacy a better option.