Which side of the plane to sit on: Istanbul to New York?
Flying from Istanbul to New York? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Ömeraltı Dağları (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Istanbul toward the northwest over the Black Sea, the left window looks out over the Ömeraltı Dağları, the Turfalsivrisi Tepesi and Historic Areas of Istanbul (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline on the right.
- leftView of Ömeraltı Dağları (mountain range)
- leftView of Turfalsivrisi Tepesi (mountain range)
- leftView of Historic Areas of Istanbul (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of the Black Sea coastline
Flight path features
2:12 PMOut over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Rhenish Massif, Ironbridge Gorge and Museum Plantin-Moretus (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Vršac Mountains on the left.
- leftView of Vršac Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Rhenish Massif (mountain range)
- rightView of Ironbridge Gorge (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Museum Plantin-Moretus (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:19 PMDescending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the right.
- rightView of Candlewood Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of the Atlantic coastline
- leftView of Long Island (island)
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 Istanbul to New York?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Ömeraltı Dağları (mountain range). Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Rhenish Massif, Ironbridge Gorge and Museum Plantin-Moretus (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Vršac Mountains on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Istanbul?
Climbing out of Istanbul toward the northwest over the Black Sea, the left window looks out over the Ömeraltı Dağları, the Turfalsivrisi Tepesi and Historic Areas of Istanbul (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline on the right.
What about on the descent into New York?
Descending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the right.