Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to Seattle?
Flying from Phoenix to Seattle? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Bradshaw Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Phoenix toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Hieroglyphic Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Bradshaw Mountains and the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Hieroglyphic Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Bradshaw Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Black Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:15 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the White Pine Range and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Maria Mountains and the Tule Desert on the left.
- leftView of Santa Maria Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of White Pine Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
- leftView of Tule Desert (desert expanse)
Landing views
11:29 AMDescending into Seattle from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Goat Rocks, the Sourdough Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Columbia River Gorge on the left.
- rightView of Goat Rocks (mountain range)
- rightView of Sourdough Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Columbia River Gorge (deep canyon)
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 Seattle?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Bradshaw Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the White Pine Range and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Maria Mountains and the Tule Desert on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Phoenix?
Climbing out of Phoenix toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Hieroglyphic Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Bradshaw Mountains and the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Seattle?
Descending into Seattle from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Goat Rocks, the Sourdough Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Columbia River Gorge on the left.