Which side of the plane to sit on: Vancouver to Boston?
Flying from Vancouver to Boston? 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 Vancouver toward the east, the left window looks out over the North Shore Mountains, the Bowen Island National Park Reserve and the Fraser Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Cheam Range on the right.
- rightView of Cheam Range (mountain range)
- leftView of North Shore Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
- leftView of Fraser Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
11:40 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Misquah Hills, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Kingston Fortifications (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Van Nostrand Range on the left.
- rightView of Misquah Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Van Nostrand Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Kingston Fortifications (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
5:20 PMDescending into Boston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Pisgah Mountain Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Chestnut Hills and the Desert of Maine on the left.
- leftView of Chestnut Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Pisgah Mountain Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Noepe (island)
- leftView of Desert of Maine (desert expanse)
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 Boston?
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 Misquah Hills, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and Kingston Fortifications (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Van Nostrand Range 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 Bowen Island National Park Reserve and the Fraser Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Cheam Range on the right.
What about on the descent into Boston?
Descending into Boston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Pisgah Mountain Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Chestnut Hills and the Desert of Maine on the left.