Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Frankfurt am Main?
Flying from Los Angeles to Frankfurt am Main? 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
9:07 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
3:01 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and the sunrise (the low sun on the horizon), with the Black Hills and the Wellsville Mountains on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftCatch the sunrise
- rightView of Black Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Wellsville Mountains (mountain range)
Landing views
5:55 AMDescending into Frankfurt am Main from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Westerwald and the Taunus (mountain ridges and peaks), with Artists' Colony in Darmstadt and Limes Tower I on the right.
- leftView of Westerwald (mountain range)
- leftView of Taunus (mountain range)
- rightView of Artists' Colony in Darmstadt (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Limes Tower I (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 Frankfurt am Main?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and the sunrise (the low sun on the horizon), with the Black Hills and the Wellsville Mountains on the right.
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 Frankfurt am Main?
Descending into Frankfurt am Main from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Westerwald and the Taunus (mountain ridges and peaks), with Artists' Colony in Darmstadt and Limes Tower I on the right.