Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to London?
Flying from New York to London? 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
9:04 AMClimbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.
- leftView of Candlewood Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of the Atlantic coastline
- rightView of Long Island (island)
Flight path features
12:35 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Blackstairs Mountains, Joggins Fossil Cliffs and the Escape Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Slievefelim Mountains on the right.
- leftView of Blackstairs Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Slievefelim Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Joggins Fossil Cliffs (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Escape Point (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
9:10 PMDescending into London from the west, the left window looks out over London & the Thames (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.
- leftCity lights of London & the Thames (the river's curves through the capital)
- rightCity lights of Reading (city skyline and lights)
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.
About this flight
The New York–London flight covers roughly 5,540 km along the great-circle path, heading broadly north-east (51°) out of JFK, with a typical time in the air of about 7h 19m. You'll cross time zones on the way (America/New_York → Europe/London), which shifts where sunrise and sunset catch the aircraft - that's factored into the verdict above. Along or near this corridor the engine tracks sights such as the Candlewood Hills, the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline, the Long Island, the Blackstairs Mountains, the Slievefelim Mountains - each one is assigned to the left or right window based on its bearing relative to the aircraft's nose at the moment you pass it.
Does the season change the answer?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.
New to picking window seats? Read the complete window-seat guide or see how these verdicts are computed.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from New York to London?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Blackstairs Mountains, Joggins Fossil Cliffs and the Escape Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Slievefelim Mountains on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from New York?
Climbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.
What about on the descent into London?
Descending into London from the west, the left window looks out over London & the Thames (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.
Does the best side change with the season?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.