Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Detroit to Shanghai. While takeoff offers Great Lakes scenery, the landing approach over the Yangtze estuary and Shanghai's port infrastructure provides more dramatic and distinctive views. The approach to PVG is geographically more visually rewarding than departure from DTW.

During takeoff from Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW), sit on the Right side for the best views. DTW typically departs eastbound (runways 03L/03R or 21L/21R depending on wind). Right-side seats offer views of Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River as the aircraft climbs northeast over Michigan. Left side faces inland toward flat suburban sprawl with minimal visual interest. Notable sights include: Lake St. Clair (immediate northeast), Detroit River (narrow waterway separating US/Canada), Lake Huron (distant horizon to northeast), Windsor Ontario shoreline (across river to east).

When landing at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. PVG has two runway complexes; aircraft typically approach from the east over the East China Sea, descending westbound. Left-side seats face north toward the Yangtze River estuary and Hangzhou Bay, offering views of Shanghai's waterfront development and the massive port infrastructure. Right side faces the industrial interior of Pudong. Notable sights include: Yangtze River estuary (wide muddy waterway to north), Hangzhou Bay (shallow coastal water to south), Shanghai port container terminals (massive geometric grid of stacked containers), Pudong skyline with Oriental Pearl Tower (distinctive sphere structure).

The flight from Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) takes Approximately 14-15 hours block time (westbound, crossing the International Date Line).

The flight path crosses the North Pacific, passing north of the Hawaiian Islands (typically 200+ miles north, not visible). Over the Pacific, you'll see open ocean with occasional weather systems. Approaching Asia, the flight descends over the East China Sea with visible shipping lanes. The Aleutian Islands region (far north of typical routing) and the Kuril Islands chain (south of most DTW-PVG tracks) are generally not visible on standard great-circle routing. The most notable midpoint feature is the transition from North American weather patterns to Pacific storm systems, visible in cloud formations around 6-8 hours into flight.