Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Shanghai. The right side wins overall. The London departure view over the Thames and city skyline is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat. En route, the right side also faces south, giving better views of the Tian Shan and Mongolian steppe on the polar route. The Pudong skyline on landing slightly favors left, but the departure experience tips the balance to right.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures on the eastbound runways (09L/09R) head east over London. The right side gives you a clear view south over the Thames, Richmond Park, and central London's skyline including the City and Canary Wharf as the aircraft climbs and turns northeast. The left side faces north over suburban Middlesex with little of interest. Notable sights include: Thames River bends through Richmond and Kew, Windsor Castle and Great Park to the southwest briefly, central London skyline with the Shard and City towers, Richmond Park's open heathland.

When landing at Hongqiao International (SHA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hongqiao approaches are typically from the east on runway 18R/36L or from the south, with aircraft descending over the Yangtze River delta and approaching from the east. On a left seat you get views north over the Huangpu River, the Pudong skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower, and the dense urban grid of central Shanghai. The right side faces south over flat suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Pudong skyline including Shanghai Tower and Oriental Pearl Tower, Huangpu River snaking through the city, Suzhou Creek confluence, dense urban grid of Puxi district.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Hongqiao International (SHA) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The route tracks northeast over the North Sea, then across Denmark and southern Scandinavia, before cutting east over the Baltic states and into Russia. It then follows a polar-adjacent path over western Siberia and the vast Ob River basin, crossing into Kazakhstan and skirting north of the Tian Shan range. The route then crosses Mongolia's open steppe and the Gobi Desert before descending into eastern China over the North China Plain and the Yangtze River delta toward Shanghai.