Which side of the plane to sit on: Madrid to New York?
Flying from Madrid 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 Serra de Leiranco (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:04 AMClimbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Balsain Mountains and the Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain ridges and peaks), with Light Landscape and Monasterio de El Escorial on the left.
- rightView of Balsain Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain range)
- leftView of Light Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Monasterio de El Escorial (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
12:48 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Serra de Leiranco, Salamanca and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Camp Wellfleet on the right.
- rightView of Camp Wellfleet (mountain range)
- leftView of Serra de Leiranco (mountain range)
- leftView of Salamanca (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Noepe (island)
Landing views
10:31 AMDescending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the Hominy Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Manhattan skyline on the right.
- leftView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Hominy Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of the Atlantic coastline
- rightView of Manhattan skyline (New York City's skyscraper grid)
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 Madrid to New York?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Serra de Leiranco (mountain range). Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Serra de Leiranco, Salamanca and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Camp Wellfleet on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Madrid?
Climbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Balsain Mountains and the Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain ridges and peaks), with Light Landscape and Monasterio de El Escorial on the left.
What about on the descent into New York?
Descending into New York from the northeast over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the Hominy Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with Manhattan skyline on the right.