Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Johannesburg to Paris. The left side wins overall because the CDG landing view over central Paris is one of the most iconic urban approaches in aviation, and the left side also captures the Sahara desert patterns and Mediterranean coastline during the cruise. The Johannesburg departure advantage on the right is real but shorter-lived.

During takeoff from Johannesburg International (JNB), sit on the Right side for the best views. O.R. Tambo's primary departure runways (03L/03R heading northeast) mean a right-side seat looks northwest over central Johannesburg, the Witwatersrand ridge, and the sprawling urban grid of Sandton and Midrand. Left side gets the industrial East Rand with less visual interest. Notable sights include: Johannesburg CBD skyline and Hillbrow Tower, Sandton financial district, Witwatersrand ridge escarpment, Soweto township grid to the southwest.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Left side for the best views. CDG's most common landing approach from the south on runways 27L/27R or 26R has the aircraft tracking westward, putting the left side over the Seine valley, Paris city center, and the Eiffel Tower area. Right side faces north toward flat suburban Île-de-France with little of note. Notable sights include: Paris city center and Seine river bends, Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars, La Défense tower cluster, Stade de France.

The flight from Johannesburg International (JNB) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The route tracks north over Zimbabwe and Zambia, crossing the Congo Basin rainforest (a vast dark-green canopy with river systems visible on clear days), then over the Sahara — the left side sees the Ahaggar massif in Algeria and the Grand Erg Oriental sand seas. The route crosses the Mediterranean near Tunisia or Sicily, then over the Italian or French Alps depending on routing, before descending into the Paris basin.