What points / frequent flyer programs to use for Darwin - Shanghai return?

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has any preferred or creative ideas for DRW-PVG-DRW? Thanks to your advice I am a member of the AA, USDM, Lifemiles, Alaska and MH FFPs in addition to the usual - QF and VA. Oh, and also Starwood if that helps. Points balances are low so will need to buy points.

Only MH and MI (Silk Air code share with SQ) have J out of DRW. Otherwise it's QF/VA to SYD/MEL/BNE/PER and then out from there.

Really impressed with the advice/comments I've seen on this site.

Thanks.

I would try USDM via Oneworld airlines for 90k points + taxes and fees. Perhaps MH out to KL, then PVG. Or QF to Syd, then QF to PVG. Or CX to PVG via HKG.
Can also use your MH.
depends on how many points you have in your FFPs.
Cheers

Given you are buying points, you are in practice limited to the two programmes which sell cheaply; Lifemiles and USDM.  I cannot get lifemiles to recognise DRW as a departure city (presumably as MI is not a star alliance member) and the extra comfort of J would be cancelled out by backtracking to the east coast, so it leaves you with MH DRW-KUL, then MH KUL-PVG or CX KUL-HKG-PVG. US should charge 90k return: http://www.usairways.com/en-US/Resources/_downloads/dividendmiles/oneworldawardtravel.pdf