Moondog's advice about US Air is spot on. The ability to get business class from the US to China for $1200+ is an opportunity not to be missed. The cash price of a business ticket on that route is many multiples of that, and if you are 6'9" it wil be worth every penny. Most of your classmates will pay more than that for a seat in coach!

Don't listen to a word the US air call center folks say, you need to do your own research on availability and then call them and let them know what you found. Google the "View from the Wing" blog by Gary Leff, as he has an excellent post about how to redeem US awards. I would recommend using awardnexus.com in yin your search ,as the interface is very novice friendly.

I did a token search for your return date and found plenty of availability from Shanghai to the US in biz with a day or so of your request, mostly via Frankfurt

Good luck and safe travels