Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Phoenix?
Flying from San Francisco to Phoenix? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Burnt Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- leftView of Niles Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
9:48 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right 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 left.
- rightView of Aubrey Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Venice Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Mojave Desert (desert expanse)
- leftView of Manzanita Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
10:34 AMDescending into Phoenix from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Artillery Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Belmont Mountains and the Tonopah Desert on the right.
- leftView of Artillery Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Belmont Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Tonopah Desert (desert expanse)
- leftView of Black 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 San Francisco to Phoenix?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Coyote Hills (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right 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 left.
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (mountain ridges and peaks).
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Artillery Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Belmont Mountains and the Tonopah Desert on the right.