Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to San Francisco?
Flying from Phoenix to San Francisco? 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Phoenix toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Belmont Mountains, the Sierra Estrella and the Tonopah Desert (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Belmont Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Sierra Estrella (mountain range)
- leftView of Tonopah Desert (desert expanse)
- rightView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
9:48 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Aubrey Hills and the Venice Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Mojave Desert and the Manzanita Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Aubrey Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Venice Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Mojave Desert (desert expanse)
- rightView of Manzanita Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
10:34 AMDescending into San Francisco from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Burnt Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- rightView of Niles Canyon (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 San Francisco?
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 Aubrey Hills and the Venice Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Mojave Desert and the Manzanita Canyon on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Phoenix?
Climbing out of Phoenix toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Belmont Mountains, the Sierra Estrella and the Tonopah Desert (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Big Spring Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into San Francisco?
Descending into San Francisco from the southeast, the right window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks).