Which side of the plane to sit on: Boston to Phoenix?
Flying from Boston to Phoenix? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Metacomet Ridge (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Boston toward the west, the left window looks out over the Blue Hill Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Metacomet Ridge and the Desert of Maine on the right.
- leftView of Blue Hill Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Metacomet Ridge (mountain range)
- leftView of Noepe (island)
- rightView of Desert of Maine (desert expanse)
Flight path features
11:27 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Smoky Hill Buttes, Taos Pueblo and the Picture Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mount Tom Range on the left.
- leftView of Mount Tom Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Smoky Hill Buttes (mountain range)
- rightView of Taos Pueblo (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Picture Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
10:54 AMDescending into Phoenix from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain and the Alchesay Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Ancha and the Cataract Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra Ancha (mountain range)
- rightView of Cataract Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Alchesay 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 Boston to Phoenix?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Metacomet Ridge (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Smoky Hill Buttes, Taos Pueblo and the Picture Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mount Tom Range on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Boston?
Climbing out of Boston toward the west, the left window looks out over the Blue Hill Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Metacomet Ridge and the Desert of Maine on the right.
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain and the Alchesay Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Ancha and the Cataract Canyon on the right.