Which side of the plane to sit on: Istanbul to Chicago?
Flying from Istanbul to Chicago? 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Istanbul toward the northwest over the Black Sea, the left window looks out over the Istranca, the Ömeraltı Dağları and the Çatalca Peninsula (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline on the right.
- leftView of Istranca (mountain range)
- leftView of Ömeraltı Dağları (mountain range)
- rightView of the Black Sea coastline
- leftView of Çatalca Peninsula (peninsula coastline)
Flight path features
2:41 PMOut over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Tribeč, the Hakel and Cultural landscape of the stud farm at Kladruby nad Labem (mountain ridges and peaks), with Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg on the left.
- rightView of Tribeč (mountain range)
- rightView of Hakel (mountain range)
- leftView of Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Cultural landscape of the stud farm at Kladruby nad Labem (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:16 PMDescending into Chicago from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indian Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of Indian Bay (bay and coastline)
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 Chicago?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Tribeč, the Hakel and Cultural landscape of the stud farm at Kladruby nad Labem (mountain ridges and peaks), with Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of Quedlinburg 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 Istranca, the Ömeraltı Dağları and the Çatalca Peninsula (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indian Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.