Shanghai to Detroit flight path: PVG to DTW

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Shanghai to Detroit. The left side wins both the takeoff and landing phases with genuine skyline and river views, while the long polar cruise over Siberia, the Bering Sea, and Arctic Canada offers limited but real variety split across both sides, giving the left side the edge overall.

During takeoff from Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing PVG on the northbound runways, the left side faces west toward the Shanghai skyline and the Huangpu/Yangtze river system, giving a dramatic urban view during climb-out. The right side only overlooks the flat, featureless waters of Hangzhou Bay and the East China Sea. Notable sights include: Pudong skyline (Lujiazui towers), Yangtze River mouth, Chongming Island, Hangzhou Bay coastline.

When landing at Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW), sit on the Left side for the best views. On the typical northeast-to-southwest approach into DTW's 22 runways, the left side faces southeast toward downtown Detroit, the Detroit River, and the Windsor, Ontario shoreline. The right side faces the flatter suburban and agricultural land northwest of the airport, with little to distinguish it. Notable sights include: Detroit skyline (Renaissance Center), Detroit River, Lake St. Clair shoreline, Windsor, Ontario waterfront.

The flight from Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) to Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) takes 13h 10m.

Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka Peninsula volcanoes, Bering Sea, Arctic Ocean ice pack, Canadian Arctic islands including Baffin Island, Hudson Bay coastline