Which side of the plane to sit on: Houston to Phoenix?
Flying from Houston to Phoenix? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Houston toward the west, the right window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Runyon Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and Houston on the left.
- rightView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Runyon Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
- leftView of Houston (city skyline and lights)
Flight path features
10:09 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Cottonwood Hills and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Gila Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto on the right.
- rightView of Gila Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Cottonwood Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Jornada del Muerto (desert expanse)
Landing views
9:16 AMDescending into Phoenix from the east, the left window looks out over the Mineral Mountains, Arizona and the Laurel canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Usery Mountain and the Peralta Canyon on the right.
- rightView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Mineral Mountains, Arizona (mountain range)
- rightView of Peralta Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Laurel canyon (deep canyon)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Houston to Phoenix?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Cottonwood Hills and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Gila Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Houston?
Climbing out of Houston toward the west, the right window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Runyon Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and Houston on the left.
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the east, the left window looks out over the Mineral Mountains, Arizona and the Laurel canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Usery Mountain and the Peralta Canyon on the right.