Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to Madrid?
Flying from New York to Madrid? 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 Hominy Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Manhattan skyline on the left.
- rightView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Hominy Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of the Atlantic coastline
- leftView of Manhattan skyline (New York City's skyscraper grid)
Flight path features
12:48 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Camp Wellfleet, the Serra do Suído and the Illas Ons (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Noepe on the right.
- leftView of Camp Wellfleet (mountain range)
- leftView of Serra do Suído (mountain range)
- rightView of Noepe (island)
- leftView of Illas Ons (island)
Landing views
10:31 PMDescending into Madrid from the northwest, it's dark out with little to see from either window.
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 New York to Madrid?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Camp Wellfleet, the Serra do Suído and the Illas Ons (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Noepe 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 Hominy Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Manhattan skyline on the left.
What about on the descent into Madrid?
Descending into Madrid from the northwest, it's dark out with little to see from either window.