Which side of the plane to sit on: Atlanta to Vancouver?
Flying from Atlanta to Vancouver? 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 Atlanta toward the northwest, the right 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 left.
- rightView of The Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Barren Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Grace's High Falls (waterfall)
- leftView of Hightower Falls (waterfall)
Flight path features
11:24 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left 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 right.
- leftView of Three Rocks (mountain range)
- leftView of Big Belt Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Burke Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Badlands National Park (national park)
Landing views
10:46 AMDescending into Vancouver from the east, the right 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 left.
- rightView of North Shore Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Cheam Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
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 Atlanta to Vancouver?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left 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 right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Atlanta?
Climbing out of Atlanta toward the northwest, the right 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 left.
What about on the descent into Vancouver?
Descending into Vancouver from the east, the right 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 left.