Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hohhot to Shanghai. While takeoff offers mountain views, the landing approach provides more dramatic and extended scenic value with the Yangtze delta's intricate waterway system and the transition into Shanghai's urban landscape. Left-side seats capture this better.

During takeoff from Hohhot Baita International Airport (HET), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats offer views of the Yinshan Mountains to the south and the Daqing Mountain range to the southeast as the aircraft climbs out from Hohhot. The terrain transitions from urban Hohhot to semi-arid grassland and mountain foothills, providing clear visual progression. Notable sights include: Yinshan Mountains (south), Daqing Mountains (southeast), Hohhot urban sprawl (immediate ground), Inner Mongolia grassland plateau.

When landing at Hongqiao International (SHA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats provide excellent views of the Yangtze River delta and Hangzhou Bay as the aircraft descends toward Shanghai. The approach path offers clear sightlines of the river's braided channels, wetlands, and the transition from rural Zhejiang Province to Shanghai's urban sprawl. Notable sights include: Yangtze River estuary and delta channels, Hangzhou Bay (west of Shanghai), Zhejiang Province agricultural plains, Shanghai Pudong skyline.

The flight from Hohhot Baita International Airport (HET) to Hongqiao International (SHA) takes 2h 15m.

The flight path crosses central Henan Province, passing over the North China Plain with scattered cities (Zhengzhou visible to the south), then enters Anhui Province where the terrain gradually transitions from plains to the Yangtze River valley. The Dabie Mountains appear as a low ridge in central Anhui. As the aircraft approaches Shanghai, the landscape flattens dramatically into the Yangtze delta's agricultural plains and waterways.