Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai. While takeoff offers excellent delta views on the right, the landing approach on the left provides more dramatic geography with Hangzhou Bay's distinctive coastal features and the Yangtze estuary—more visually rewarding than the flat northern approach terrain.

During takeoff from Tansonnhat International (SGN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Tan Son Nhat typically departs eastbound (Runway 25L/R). Right-side seats face north across the Saigon River delta and towards the Mekong floodplains, offering views of the river's braided channels and agricultural patchwork. Left seats look south over built-up Ho Chi Minh City sprawl with less geographic interest. Notable sights include: Saigon River (immediate, winding below), Mekong River delta distributaries (expanding northward), Can Tho region rice paddies (distant, geometric patterns), Vung Tau peninsula (far southeast on horizon).

When landing at Hongqiao International (SHA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hongqiao typically receives aircraft on Runway 10L/R (westbound approach). Left-side seats face south during descent, providing views of Hangzhou Bay's distinctive crescent shape and the Yangtze River estuary. Right seats look north over Jiangsu province's flat, less visually distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: Hangzhou Bay (broad water body with visible tidal patterns), Yangtze River estuary (wide muddy confluence), Shanghai urban sprawl (dense grid visible at lower altitudes), Jiangsu agricultural plains (flat, geometric field patterns).

The flight from Tansonnhat International (SGN) to Hongqiao International (SHA) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses central Vietnam (Mekong delta transitioning to Annamite Range foothills around 1 hour out), then enters the Gulf of Tonkin where the Hainan Strait separates Vietnam from Hainan Island (visible as a mountainous landmass on the right/east side during mid-flight). Continuing north-northeast, the aircraft crosses the Chinese coast near the Guangdong-Fujian border, then tracks over the flat Yangtze River plain toward Shanghai. The Wuyi Mountains appear as a distant ridge on the eastern horizon around 90 minutes into the flight. Most of the cruise occurs over flat to gently rolling terrain with extensive rice paddies and river systems visible below.