Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to Houston?
Flying from Phoenix to Houston? 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 Phoenix toward the east, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain, the Peralta Canyon and the Alchesay Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Mineral Mountains, Arizona on the right.
- leftView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
- rightView of Mineral Mountains, Arizona (mountain range)
- leftView of Peralta Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Alchesay Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:09 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Gila Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Cottonwood Hills and the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Gila Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Cottonwood Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Jornada del Muerto (desert expanse)
Landing views
1:16 PMDescending into Houston from the west, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Houston (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).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Phoenix to Houston?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Gila Mountains and the Jornada del Muerto (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Cottonwood Hills and the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Phoenix?
Climbing out of Phoenix toward the east, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain, the Peralta Canyon and the Alchesay Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Mineral Mountains, Arizona on the right.
What about on the descent into Houston?
Descending into Houston from the west, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.