Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Zurich?
Flying from Los Angeles to Zurich? 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
9:07 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
3:09 PMOut over the Hudson Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Black Hills (the low sun on the horizon).
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftCatch the sunrise
- leftView of Black Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Snake Range (mountain range)
Landing views
6:11 AMDescending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Albis, the Schwyzer Voralpen and Ban-de-Sapt National Cemetery (mountain ridges and peaks), with Cutting National Cemetery on the left.
- rightView of Albis (mountain range)
- rightView of Schwyzer Voralpen (mountain range)
- leftView of Cutting National Cemetery (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Ban-de-Sapt National Cemetery (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 Zurich?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Hudson Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset, the sunrise and the Black Hills (the low sun on the horizon).
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 Zurich?
Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Albis, the Schwyzer Voralpen and Ban-de-Sapt National Cemetery (mountain ridges and peaks), with Cutting National Cemetery on the left.