Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Beijing. The right side wins overall. The London departure view is genuinely spectacular with the Thames and city center, and during the cruise the right (south) side tracks closer to the Mongolian steppe and the approach to the North China Plain. The Beijing landing left-side advantage is real but the views are more industrial than the London departure. Right seat gives you the better of the two headline moments.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures on the eastbound 09L/09R runways head east, putting central London on the right (south) side. You get a clear view of the Thames snaking through the city, with the West End and City of London visible as you climb through 3,000-8,000 feet. Left side sees only suburban west London and the M25 corridor. Notable sights include: River Thames bends through central London, Wembley Stadium arch, Windsor Castle and Great Park to the southwest, the Canary Wharf cluster on the Isle of Dogs.

When landing at Capital (PEK), sit on the Left side for the best views. Capital Airport approaches from the northeast on runway 01/19 or from the east on 36L/36R, meaning the aircraft tracks over the flat North China Plain before touchdown. The left (west) side gives views over central Beijing — the rectangular grid of the old city, the Forbidden City moat, and the Olympic Park structures are all on the western approach track. Right side sees industrial eastern suburbs and flat farmland. Notable sights include: Forbidden City and its rectangular moat visible as a distinct geometric feature, Olympic Park with the Bird's Nest stadium, the grid of the Second and Third Ring Roads, Ming Tombs reservoir north of the city.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Capital (PEK) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The route tracks northeast over the North Sea, then across southern Scandinavia or the Baltic states, over western Russia and the vast West Siberian Plain, crossing the Ural Mountains (a low, forested ridge visible from altitude), then the Central Siberian Plateau, the southern edge of Lake Baikal may be visible depending on exact routing, followed by the Mongolian steppe and Gobi Desert transition zone before descending into the North China Plain toward Beijing