Which side of the plane to sit on: London to San Francisco?
Flying from London to San Francisco? 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 London toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the South Downs and Blenheim Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kent Downs and Kew Gardens on the right.
- leftView of South Downs (mountain range)
- rightView of Kent Downs (mountain range)
- rightView of Kew Gardens (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Blenheim Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
2:35 PMOut over the Hudson Strait, the right window looks out over the Amedee Mountains and the Cypress Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Ironbridge Gorge on the left.
- rightView of Amedee Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Cypress Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Ironbridge Gorge (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:03 PMDescending into San Francisco from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the left.
- leftView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Vaca Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- leftView of Niles 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).
- 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 London to San Francisco?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Hudson Strait, the right window looks out over the Amedee Mountains and the Cypress Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Ironbridge Gorge on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from London?
Climbing out of London toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the South Downs and Blenheim Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kent Downs and Kew Gardens on the right.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Vaca Mountains and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and the Niles Canyon on the left.