Which side of the plane to sit on: Reykjavík to London?
Flying from Reykjavík 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Reykjavík toward the southeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).
- rightView of the Atlantic coastline
Flight path features
10:21 AMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes and the Arran (canyons and wild country), with the Paps of Jura and the Islay on the right.
- leftView of Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes (Vatnajokull ice cap and lava fields)
- rightView of Paps of Jura (mountain range)
- leftView of Arran (island)
- rightView of Islay (island)
Landing views
11:37 AMDescending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames and Kew Gardens (the city spread out below), with the Chiltern Hills and the South Downs on the right.
- leftView of London & the Thames (the river's curves through the capital)
- rightView of Chiltern Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of South Downs (mountain range)
- leftView of Kew Gardens (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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 Reykjavík–London flight covers roughly 1,895 km along the great-circle path, heading broadly south-east (127°) out of KEF, with a typical time in the air of about 2h 46m. You'll cross time zones on the way (Atlantic/Reykjavik → 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 coastline, the Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes, the Paps of Jura, the Arran, the Islay, London & the Thames - 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 Reykjavík 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 Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes and the Arran (canyons and wild country), with the Paps of Jura and the Islay on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Reykjavík?
Climbing out of Reykjavík toward the southeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).
What about on the descent into London?
Descending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames and Kew Gardens (the city spread out below), with the Chiltern Hills and the South Downs 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.