Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chengdu to London. The London approach on the left is one of the great urban descents in commercial aviation — the Thames, Canary Wharf, and central London laid out clearly for several minutes. The Chengdu departure on the right is worthwhile but shorter-lived. For the full flight, left wins on the strength of the arrival alone.

During takeoff from Shuangliu (CTU), sit on the Right side for the best views. Chengdu Shuangliu's primary departure runway 02R sends aircraft northward, and the right side faces east toward the Longquan Mountains and the urban core of Chengdu. As the aircraft climbs and turns northwest toward the route, the right side also picks up the distant Qionglai Mountains to the southwest. Left side faces west into haze and industrial flatlands. Notable sights include: Chengdu urban grid and ring roads, Longquan Mountains to the east, Fu River and Nan River confluence visible below, distant Qionglai Mountain ridgeline.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow's dominant runway 27L/27R means aircraft approach from the east over London. On the left side you get the full sweep of central London — the Thames, the City, Canary Wharf, and the West End — as the aircraft descends over the eastern and central suburbs. The right side faces north toward the M25 corridor and suburban Middlesex, which is far less interesting. Notable sights include: River Thames snaking through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, The City of London and Wembley Stadium arch, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park.

The flight from Shuangliu (CTU) to Heathrow (LHR) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The route tracks northwest from Chengdu across the Tibetan Plateau's northern edge, passing near Xining and the Qilian Mountains, then across Xinjiang's Tarim Basin and the Taklamakan Desert, over the Tian Shan range into Kazakhstan, across the Aral Sea basin, over the Caspian Sea, then through southern Russia and Ukraine, across Poland and Germany, over the Netherlands, and into the UK from the east. The Tian Shan crossing and the Caspian Sea are the most visually distinctive midpoint features at cruising altitude.