Which side of the plane to sit on: Madrid to Los Angeles?
Flying from Madrid to Los Angeles? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Central System (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:07 AMClimbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Central System and Light Landscape (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra de la Cabrera and Segovia Castle on the right.
- rightView of Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain range)
- leftView of Central System (mountain range)
- leftView of Light Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Segovia Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
3:03 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Bull Valley Mountains, the Roan Cliffs and the Nomansland Point (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Bull Valley Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Roan Cliffs (mountain range)
- leftView of Nomansland Point (peninsula coastline)
- leftView of Presqu'île Péré (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
12:00 PMDescending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the Desert Discovery Center (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Long Buttes and the Laurel Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Long Buttes (mountain range)
- rightView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Desert Discovery Center (desert expanse)
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 Los Angeles?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Central System (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Bull Valley Mountains, the Roan Cliffs and the Nomansland Point (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from Madrid?
Climbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Central System and Light Landscape (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra de la Cabrera and Segovia Castle on the right.
What about on the descent into Los Angeles?
Descending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the Desert Discovery Center (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Long Buttes and the Laurel Canyon on the right.