Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Anchorage?
Flying from Seattle to Anchorage? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Denali (North America's tallest mountain)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Seattle toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gowlland Range and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Quilcene Range and the Goblins Gate on the left.
- leftView of Quilcene Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Gowlland Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Goblins Gate (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:37 AMOut over the Pacific, the right window looks out over Mount Waddington and the Hunter Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with Cape Range and the Calvert Island on the left.
- rightView of Mount Waddington (4,019 m peak)
- leftView of Cape Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Calvert Island (island)
- rightView of Hunter Island (island)
Landing views
11:10 AMDescending into Anchorage from the southeast, the right window looks out over Denali, Mount Marcus Baker and the Hinchinbrook Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Knight Island on the left.
- rightView of Denali (North America's tallest mountain)
- rightView of Mount Marcus Baker (4,016 m peak)
- rightView of Hinchinbrook Island (island)
- leftView of Knight Island (island)
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.
About this flight
The Seattle–Anchorage flight covers roughly 2,326 km along the great-circle path, heading broadly north-west (321°) out of SEA, with a typical time in the air of about 3h 18m. You'll cross time zones on the way (America/Los_Angeles → America/Anchorage), which shifts where sunrise and sunset catch the aircraft - that's factored into the verdict above. Along or near this corridor the engine tracks sights such as the Quilcene Range, the Gowlland Range, the Whidby Island, the Goblins Gate, Mount Waddington, Cape Range - each one is assigned to the left or right window based on its bearing relative to the aircraft's nose at the moment you pass it.
Does the season change the answer?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.
New to picking window seats? Read the complete window-seat guide or see how these verdicts are computed.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Seattle to Anchorage?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Denali (North America's tallest mountain). Out over the Pacific, the right window looks out over Mount Waddington and the Hunter Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with Cape Range and the Calvert Island on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gowlland Range and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Quilcene Range and the Goblins Gate on the left.
What about on the descent into Anchorage?
Descending into Anchorage from the southeast, the right window looks out over Denali, Mount Marcus Baker and the Hinchinbrook Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Knight Island on the left.
Does the best side change with the season?
The best side of the plane on this route changes with the season and the time of day - the table above is computed from the sun's actual position along the flight path on each date. A morning departure and an evening departure can put the sun (and the glare) on opposite sides, so it's worth checking your exact date and departure time with the form above before you pick a seat.