Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Amsterdam?
Flying from Los Angeles to Amsterdam? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Bissell Hills and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills and the High Desert on the right.
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Bissell Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of High Desert (desert expanse)
Flight path features
2:47 PMOut over the Hudson Strait, the right window looks out over the Gros Ventre Range and the Pryor Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset and the Brevoort Island on the left.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Gros Ventre Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Pryor Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Brevoort Island (island)
Landing views
5:28 AMDescending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, the left window looks out over the sunrise, the Haltern Hills and Grachtengordel (the low sun on the horizon), with the Flemish Ardennes on the right.
- leftCatch the sunrise
- leftView of Haltern Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Flemish Ardennes (mountain range)
- leftView of Grachtengordel (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.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Los Angeles to Amsterdam?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Hudson Strait, the right window looks out over the Gros Ventre Range and the Pryor Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset and the Brevoort Island on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Bissell Hills and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills and the High Desert on the right.
What about on the descent into Amsterdam?
Descending into Amsterdam from the northwest over the North Sea, the left window looks out over the sunrise, the Haltern Hills and Grachtengordel (the low sun on the horizon), with the Flemish Ardennes on the right.