Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Xiamen to Singapore. The left side wins overall. During the cruise southward over the South China Sea, the left side faces east toward the Philippine Sea and open ocean, which is less interesting, but on descent into Singapore the left delivers the full city panorama. The right side has the better takeoff view of Xiamen, but the Singapore arrival on the left is the more dramatic payoff of the two. If forced to pick one side for the whole flight, left gives you the Singapore skyline on arrival, which is the highlight.

During takeoff from Gaoqi (XMN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Xiamen Gaoqi sits on the coast, and departures heading southwest over the Taiwan Strait give the right side a clear view of Xiamen Island, the dense urban core, and the harbor. You can see the causeway connecting the island to the mainland and the distinctive shape of Gulangyu Island just offshore. Notable sights include: Xiamen Island urban core, Gulangyu Island, Xiamen Harbor causeway, Taiwan Strait coastline.

When landing at Singapore Changi (SIN), sit on the Left side for the best views. Changi Airport sits on Singapore's eastern tip, and most approaches come in from the east or southeast over the South China Sea. The left side picks up the entire Singapore city skyline, Marina Bay, and the southern islands as you descend, while the right side faces open water. Notable sights include: Marina Bay Sands and CBD skyline, Sentosa Island, Singapore Strait southern islands, Johor Strait and southern Malaysia.

The flight from Gaoqi (XMN) to Singapore Changi (SIN) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes.

The flight tracks south-southwest over the South China Sea, passing west of the Philippines. You cross over or near the northern tip of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia) or the Sulu Sea depending on routing. The South China Sea below is open ocean with occasional shipping lanes visible as clustered vessel wakes. As you approach Singapore, the Riau Islands of Indonesia appear below — Batam and Bintan are large enough to be clearly visible as green landmasses in the blue sea.