Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Shanghai to New York. Left side wins at both ends of this flight. Over Shanghai it captures the city and river geography; over New York it captures Jamaica Bay and the Atlantic coastline. The right side offers open ocean at departure and suburban Long Island on approach — both less compelling.

During takeoff from Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), sit on the Left side for the best views. PVG typically departs eastward on runways 16L/16R or 34L/34R. On a northbound departure climbing out over the Yangtze River estuary, the left (west) side faces back toward central Shanghai, the Huangpu River, and the dense urban grid of Pudong and Puxi. The right side looks out over open East China Sea water. Notable sights include: Huangpu River S-curves through central Shanghai, Pudong financial district skyline, Yangtze River estuary mudflats, Chongming Island to the north.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary arrival runways are 22L/22R (southwest heading) or 31L/31R (northwest heading). On a typical approach from the northeast over Long Island, the left side faces south toward Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways barrier beach, and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The right side looks north over suburban Long Island with less visual interest. Notable sights include: Jamaica Bay open water and marshes, Rockaway Peninsula barrier beach, Atlantic Ocean beyond the Rockaways, lower Manhattan skyline visible to the northwest on clear days.

The flight from Shanghai Pudong International (PVG) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 14 to 15 hours westbound (polar route).

The great circle route tracks northeast from Shanghai across the Yellow Sea, over the Korean Peninsula, across the Sea of Japan, then over Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands into the North Pacific. The flight crosses the Aleutian Island chain — a long volcanic arc visible as dark islands in grey ocean — then traverses the Gulf of Alaska before crossing the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta. The Rockies appear as a dramatic snow-capped mountain spine roughly 6 to 8 hours into the flight. The route then crosses the Great Plains, the Great Lakes region, and descends over New England toward New York.