Booked: Award Flights from Shanghai, China to DFW

Note: I’m currently exploring Alaska with limited internet access. My responses to comments and emails will be delayed.

Over the last few months, I’ve been excitedly planning my family’s trip to Japan in 2025. I booked award flights to Tokyo on Japan Airlines using British Airways Avios for all 5 of us. And, I booked return flights to the USA for my husband and boys on Japan Airlines using Alaska Airlines miles. My daughter and I are extending our trip for a few days to visit Shanghai Disneyland, so my last challenge was to find our award flights home from mainland China.

Options for Shanghai to USA Flights

Surprisingly, there aren’t a lot of options for flights from Shanghai to the United States. Maybe it’s because of the current level 3 travel warning from the US Department of State (which I discussed in this post).

Ideally, I’d love to fly in business class across the ocean. American Airlines actually has a nonstop flight between Shanghai and DFW (my home airport). But, business class award availability at a reasonable award price is hard to come by. My goal is to avoid economy seats for the long 13+hour flight and at least find premium economy award seats.

Besides the nonstop flight between Shanghai and DFW, United has a nonstop flight to LAX and Delta has a nonstop flight to Detroit. In addition, I could book a connecting flight on a number of other airlines through other destinations in Asia like Seoul, Taipei or Singapore.

Booking the “Best” Option

When my desired return date became available, I decided to book premium economy seats on the AA nonstop flight from Shanghai to DFW. The price was 91,000 miles + $30.20 in taxes/fees per ticket. That is not the lowest price this award could cost, as I’ve seen it as low as 55,000 miles on select dates a few weeks from departure. But, I had the AA miles to spare (barely). And, it’s hard to beat the convenience of a non-stop flight home. Business class seats for my date range currently run 233,000+ miles per seat. Ouch!

The great thing about AA award flights is that I can cancel them with no penalty and get the miles refunded. So, if a better flight or better deal comes along, I can cancel and re-book.

This trip is starting to come together!