Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Phoenix?
Flying from Los Angeles to Phoenix? 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 Los Angeles toward the east over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Box Springs Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Box Springs Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of the Pacific coastline
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
9:31 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Dome Rock Mountains, the Chino Canyon and the Bald Eagle Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Jacinto Mountains on the right.
- rightView of San Jacinto Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Dome Rock Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Chino Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Bald Eagle Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
9:59 AMDescending into Phoenix from the west, the left window looks out over the Belmont Mountains and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Estrella and the Tonopah Desert on the right.
- leftView of Belmont Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra Estrella (mountain range)
- rightView of Tonopah Desert (desert expanse)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
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).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Los Angeles to Phoenix?
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 Dome Rock Mountains, the Chino Canyon and the Bald Eagle Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Jacinto Mountains on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the east over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Box Springs Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the left.
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the west, the left window looks out over the Belmont Mountains and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Estrella and the Tonopah Desert on the right.