Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Shanghai. The right side wins overall due to the spectacular London departure view with the Thames and city skyline. The landing view from the left is excellent but the right side also picks up good views of the Urals and Siberian river systems en route. For the full flight experience, right side edges it out.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs eastbound on runways 09L/09R, so a right-side seat faces south over central London as the aircraft climbs and turns. You get a clear view of the Thames snaking through the city, with recognizable landmarks spread across the south bank and beyond. Notable sights include: River Thames and its bends through central London, Wembley Stadium arch to the north (visible from left briefly), Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park to the southwest, the City of London skyline including the Shard and Canary Wharf cluster.

When landing at Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Pudong airport sits on the east side of Shanghai and typically lands westbound on runways 34L/34R or 17/35 depending on wind, but the most common approach brings aircraft in from the east over the East China Sea. A left-side seat faces south and then southwest, giving you the Huangpu River, the Pudong skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower, and the dense urban grid of central Shanghai as you descend. Notable sights include: Huangpu River separating Pudong from the Bund, Shanghai Tower and Oriental Pearl Tower cluster in Pudong, the dense urban grid of Puxi district, Hangzhou Bay visible to the south on clear days.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The route tracks northeast over the Netherlands and northern Germany, then across Poland and into Russia, passing south of Moscow. It crosses the Ural Mountains — a broad, low range visible as a wrinkled ridge system — then traverses the vast West Siberian Plain with its enormous river systems including the Ob and Irtysh. Continuing east, the route passes over the Yenisei River, Lake Baikal may be visible to the south depending on exact routing, then descends over Mongolia and northeastern China before approaching Shanghai from the Yellow Sea or East China Sea side.