Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to Taipei. Left side wins both departure and arrival. During the transpacific cruise at 35,000 feet over open ocean there is little to differentiate sides, but the bookend views of Mount Rainier on departure and Taipei city on approach make the left seat the clear overall winner.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA primarily uses runways 16L/16R for southbound departures, meaning a left-side seat faces east toward the Cascade Range. You get a clear view of Mount Rainier dominating the skyline, with the Seattle city skyline and Elliott Bay visible during the initial climb before the turn northwest. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier (14,411 ft), Elliott Bay and Seattle waterfront, Lake Washington, Cascade Range foothills.

When landing at Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE), sit on the Left side for the best views. TPE's runway 05L/05R and 23L/23R orientation means approaches from the northeast put the left side facing south toward Taipei city and the Taipei Basin. Left-side passengers see the dense urban grid of Taipei, Taipei 101, and the surrounding mountain ridges of Yangmingshan to the north. Notable sights include: Taipei 101 skyscraper, Taipei Basin urban grid, Tamsui River estuary, Yangmingshan volcanic hills.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The great circle route arcs northwest over British Columbia and the Gulf of Alaska, then tracks southwest across the North Pacific. The Aleutian Island chain may be distantly visible on clear days near the midpoint. The route then crosses the Kuril Islands and descends toward Japan's Ryukyu Island chain before reaching Taiwan. The vast majority of the flight is over open ocean with no land features visible.