Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Taipei. The left side wins overall due to the spectacular Manhattan and New York Harbor departure view, which is one of the most iconic urban aerial departures in the world. The landing advantage on the right is real but more modest. Over the Pacific, both sides see open ocean, so the takeoff view is the decisive factor for most passengers.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary departure runways 31L/31R send aircraft northwest over Jamaica Bay and then directly over Manhattan. The left side gets the full sweep of Lower Manhattan, the Hudson River, and the New York Harbor as the aircraft banks right after departure. Right side faces Queens and Long Island with far less drama. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline (Empire State, One World Trade), Upper New York Bay, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

When landing at Sungshan (TSA), sit on the Right side for the best views. TSA sits on the east side of Taipei city. Aircraft typically approach from the north or northeast on runway 10, tracking over the Danshui River estuary and descending over the Taipei Basin. The right side faces south toward central Taipei, giving views of the dense urban grid, Taipei 101, and the surrounding mountain ridges of the Yangmingshan range to the north visible across the aisle. Left side faces north toward the river mouth and less populated areas. Notable sights include: Taipei 101 tower, Taipei Basin urban grid, Keelung River confluence, Yangmingshan volcanic hills on the northern horizon.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Sungshan (TSA) takes Approximately 15 to 16 hours nonstop.

The great circle route from JFK to TSA tracks northeast over New England and Nova Scotia, then crosses the North Atlantic briefly before arcing over southern Greenland or Iceland depending on winds, then sweeps across the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska, crosses the North Pacific, passes south of Japan's Ryukyu Islands chain, and descends into Taiwan. Key features include the Canadian Maritime coastline, the Aleutian Islands volcanic arc visible as dark specks in grey ocean, and the Japanese island chain on the final approach sector.