Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Taipei to Shanghai. While takeoff favors the right for strait views, the landing approach on runway 16 provides superior geography from the left side, with the Huangpu River's dramatic meanders and delta landscape being the flight's most visually distinctive features. Left seats capture this better and offer more consistent interest throughout the descent.

During takeoff from Sungshan (TSA), sit on the Right side for the best views. Sungshan typically departs runway 10 (heading northwest). Right-side seats face toward the Taiwan Strait and northern Taiwan's coastline during initial climb, offering views of the strait's shipping traffic and the Yangmingshan volcanic plateau to the north. Notable sights include: Taiwan Strait (immediate offshore waters), Yangmingshan National Park (volcanic peaks north of Taipei), Taipei basin urban sprawl, Keelung harbor to the northeast.

When landing at Hongqiao International (SHA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Hongqiao typically receives aircraft on runway 16 (heading south-southeast). Left-side seats during approach offer views of the Huangpu River's distinctive meanders through Shanghai's Pudong district, the Yangtze River delta's agricultural patchwork, and the city's western expansion. Notable sights include: Huangpu River with characteristic S-curves through Pudong, Yangtze River delta agricultural fields (visible as grid patterns), Shanghai urban sprawl extending westward, Dianshan Lake to the northwest.

The flight from Sungshan (TSA) to Hongqiao International (SHA) takes Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Taiwan Strait (roughly 100 nautical miles of open water), then approaches the Yangtze River delta's complex network of rivers, lakes, and agricultural land. Dianshan Lake and Taihu Lake (if visible to the south) mark the transition into the Shanghai metropolitan region. The Yangtze River itself flows north-south approximately 40 miles north of the landing path and is typically not visible on standard approaches, but the delta's irrigation channels and smaller waterways create a distinctive grid pattern visible from cruise altitude.