Which side of the plane to sit on: Newark to Mexico City?
Flying from Newark to Mexico City? 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 Newark toward the southwest, the right window looks out over the North Valley Hills and the Watchung Outliers (mountain ridges and peaks), with Independence Hall and the Long Island on the left.
- rightView of North Valley Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
- leftView of Independence Hall (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Long Island (island)
Flight path features
11:14 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Brushy Mountain and the South Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Monticello and the University of Virginia and the Cabo Rojo on the right.
- leftView of Brushy Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of South Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Monticello and the University of Virginia (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Cabo Rojo (island)
Landing views
11:26 AMDescending into Mexico City from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Pachuca Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mexico City and the Metztitlan Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
- leftView of Pachuca Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Mexico City (city skyline and lights)
- rightView of Metztitlan 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 Newark to Mexico City?
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 Brushy Mountain and the South Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Monticello and the University of Virginia and the Cabo Rojo on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Newark?
Climbing out of Newark toward the southwest, the right window looks out over the North Valley Hills and the Watchung Outliers (mountain ridges and peaks), with Independence Hall and the Long Island on the left.
What about on the descent into Mexico City?
Descending into Mexico City from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Pachuca Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mexico City and the Metztitlan Canyon on the right.