Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Melbourne to Shanghai. While takeoff favors left seats for Port Phillip Bay and the You Yangs, the landing approach into Shanghai provides more dramatic and sustained visual interest from right seats. The Huangpu River and Pudong skyline offer significantly more compelling geography than the outbound climb.

During takeoff from Melbourne Essendon (MEB), sit on the Left side for the best views. Melbourne Essendon typically departs to the west or northwest. Left seats offer views of Port Phillip Bay's western shoreline and the You Yangs volcanic range as the aircraft climbs. Right seats face inland toward less distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: Port Phillip Bay (immediate left, expanding as you climb), You Yangs volcanic peaks (southwest, appearing as low rounded hills), Werribee River valley (west), Western suburbs sprawl receding inland.

When landing at Hongqiao International (SHA), sit on the Right side for the best views. Approaching Hongqiao from the southeast (typical arrival routing), right seats face toward the Huangpu River and central Shanghai's high-rise district. The river's distinctive curves and the urban density provide strong visual reference points during descent. Left seats see the flat Yangtze River Delta agricultural plains. Notable sights include: Huangpu River (snaking through the city center), Shanghai's Pudong district skyscrapers (east bank, clustered high-rises), Yangtze River Delta flatlands (extending to horizon), Hongqiao International Airport itself (visible in final approach).

The flight from Melbourne Essendon (MEB) to Hongqiao International (SHA) takes Approximately 9 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Tasman Sea (no landmarks visible for roughly 2,000 miles), then approaches the Australian-Pacific region. Approaching Asia, the flight passes over the Coral Sea and approaches the Chinese coast near the Yangtze River Delta. The Tasman crossing offers only open ocean; the approach to China reveals the flat deltaic plains and river systems of eastern China's most densely populated region.