Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Frankfurt am Main?
Flying from Seattle to Frankfurt am Main? 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 Seattle toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Scablands on the right.
- rightView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- leftView of Cultus Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Scablands (desert expanse)
Flight path features
2:19 PMOut over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Anstey Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Winston Churchill Range and Vatnajökull National Park on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftView of Anstey Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Winston Churchill Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Vatnajökull National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
4:32 AMDescending into Frankfurt am Main from the northwest, the left window looks out over Frankfurt am Main and Dortmund (the city spread out below), with Köln on the right.
- rightCity lights of Köln (city skyline and lights)
- leftCity lights of Frankfurt am Main (city skyline and lights)
- leftCity lights of Dortmund (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).
- 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 Seattle to Frankfurt am Main?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Davis Strait, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Anstey Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Winston Churchill Range and Vatnajökull National Park on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Scablands on the right.
What about on the descent into Frankfurt am Main?
Descending into Frankfurt am Main from the northwest, the left window looks out over Frankfurt am Main and Dortmund (the city spread out below), with Köln on the right.