I've flown this route twice this year. Agreed paying for PE and getting Y AUH-LHR feels ordinary, however the A380 is a great Y seat and the AVOD is the best I've seen. On EY's 777, Row 17 A & B is a two seater with bulkhead behind - go for this if you can.
As far as VA PE goes, I flew row 11 over and row 10 back (first row of PE with a bulkhead in front). I'm 5'9" and preferred row 10. Since the seat has no footrest, they give you a wedge-shaped mini-ottoman. I found by placing it on it's side and wedging it between magazine rack and fuselage, you could get a pretty comfortable elevated foot position. The pull-out AVOD is a bit compromised though - in 10K it's hard to get the screen straight and even harder when the tray table is out.