Which side of the plane to sit on: Vancouver to Atlanta?
Flying from Vancouver to Atlanta? 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
9:05 AMClimbing out of Vancouver toward the east, the left window looks out over the North Shore Mountains, the Cheam Range and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the right.
- leftView of North Shore Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Cheam Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
Flight path features
11:24 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Three Rocks, the Big Belt Mountains and the Burke Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Badlands National Park on the left.
- rightView of Three Rocks (mountain range)
- rightView of Big Belt Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Burke Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Badlands National Park (national park)
Landing views
4:46 PMDescending into Atlanta from the northwest, the left window looks out over The Hills and the Barren Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Grace's High Falls and the Hightower Falls on the right.
- leftView of The Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Barren Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Grace's High Falls (waterfall)
- rightView of Hightower Falls (waterfall)
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 Vancouver to Atlanta?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Three Rocks, the Big Belt Mountains and the Burke Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Badlands National Park on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Vancouver?
Climbing out of Vancouver toward the east, the left window looks out over the North Shore Mountains, the Cheam Range and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the right.
What about on the descent into Atlanta?
Descending into Atlanta from the northwest, the left window looks out over The Hills and the Barren Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Grace's High Falls and the Hightower Falls on the right.