Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to New York?
Flying from Los Angeles to New York? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range)
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 San Gabriel Mountains, the Deadman Hills and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Timoteo Canyon on the right.
- leftView of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Deadman Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of San Timoteo Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
11:37 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Long Mountain, the Wolf Rocks and Mesa Verde National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Long Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Wolf Rocks (mountain range)
- leftView of Mesa Verde National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
Landing views
5:15 PMDescending into New York from the west, the right window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills and the Long Island on the left.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
- rightView of Moravian Church Settlements (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Long Island (island)
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 New York?
Sit on the LEFT: View of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Long Mountain, the Wolf Rocks and Mesa Verde National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).
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 San Gabriel Mountains, the Deadman Hills and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Timoteo Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into New York?
Descending into New York from the west, the right window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills and the Long Island on the left.