Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Barcelona?
Flying from Chicago to Barcelona? 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
9:05 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the left.
- leftView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of South Haven Harbor (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
1:38 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Monts Valin (the low sun on the horizon), with the Tabletop Mountains and Anticosti on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Tabletop Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Monts Valin (mountain range)
- rightView of Anticosti (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
1:10 AMDescending into Barcelona from the northwest, the left window looks out over Barcelona (the city spread out below).
- leftCity lights of Barcelona (city skyline and lights)
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 Chicago to Barcelona?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Monts Valin (the low sun on the horizon), with the Tabletop Mountains and Anticosti on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the left.
What about on the descent into Barcelona?
Descending into Barcelona from the northwest, the left window looks out over Barcelona (the city spread out below).