← whichsidetosit

Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to Miami?

Flying from Phoenix to Miami? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.

:
Phoenix (PHX) → Miami (MIA)3,168 km~4h 22mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 4:21 PM daytime

It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.

The best window changes along the way.

Confidence: low

Takeoff views

9:05 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of Phoenix toward the east, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain, the Salt Mountain and the Peralta Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks).

  • leftView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
  • leftView of Salt Mountain (mountain range)
  • leftView of Peralta Canyon (deep canyon)
  • leftView of Alchesay Canyon (deep canyon)

Flight path features

11:08 AM
Daytime

Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Collins Hills, the Jal Rifle Range and Carlsbad Caverns National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).

  • rightView of Collins Hills (mountain range)
  • rightView of Jal Rifle Range (mountain range)
  • rightView of Carlsbad Caverns National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • rightView of Marsh Island (island)

Landing views

4:13 PM
Daytime

Descending into Miami from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Biscayne National Park and the Biscayne Bay (canyons and wild country), with the Bella Vista Bay on the left.

  • rightView of Biscayne National Park (national park)
  • leftView of Bella Vista Bay (bay and coastline)
  • rightView of Biscayne Bay (bay and coastline)
  • leftShaded side, less glare for ground views (sun's on the RIGHT)

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 Phoenix to Miami?

It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Collins Hills, the Jal Rifle Range and Carlsbad Caverns National Park (mountain ridges and peaks).

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 Salt Mountain and the Peralta Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks).

What about on the descent into Miami?

Descending into Miami from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Biscayne National Park and the Biscayne Bay (canyons and wild country), with the Bella Vista Bay on the left.