Jakarta to Shanghai flight path: CGK to PVG

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Jakarta to Shanghai. The left side wins across all phases: it shows Jakarta and its offshore islands on departure, the Vietnamese and Chinese coastlines with Hainan Island during the long cruise north, and the Shanghai skyline on arrival, giving far more landmark variety than the largely open-ocean right side.

During takeoff from Soekarno Hatta International (CGK), sit on the Left side for the best views. As the aircraft climbs out of Jakarta and banks onto its northbound track, the left side offers views back over the sprawling city, Jakarta Bay, and the scattered coral islands of the Thousand Islands chain just offshore. The right side mostly shows featureless Java Sea. Notable sights include: Jakarta skyline, Jakarta Bay, Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu), Java coastline.

When landing at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. On the descent into Pudong from the south, the final turn brings the Shanghai skyline, the Huangpu River, and the dense urban grid of Pudong's high-rises into view on the left, while the right side mostly faces the open, featureless waters of Hangzhou Bay. Notable sights include: Shanghai skyline (Pudong towers), Huangpu River, Yangtze River estuary, Hangzhou Bay coastline.

The flight from Soekarno Hatta International (CGK) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) takes about 6 hours 35 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 2,763 miles (4,446 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Cruise track passes over the South China Sea west of the Philippines, within sight of Vietnam's coastline and Hainan Island, before crossing the Taiwan Strait and Chinese coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang on approach to Shanghai.