"See actual flight paths with flightpaths.com"
Weather, politics and local regulations can affect the choice of airspace and flight corridors. Flightpaths.com lets you see the real flight paths and compare passenger airlines and flight times simplified on an interactive map.
Flights from Detroit (DTW), USA to Shanghai (PVG), China illustrated on a map. Based on 48 recorded flights, the distance can vary between 7529 and 8378 miles.
Canada
Japan
Over water
Japan
Over water
Canada
You can also check the reverse route: Shanghai to Detroit