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Which side of the plane to sit on: Houston to London?

Flying from Houston to London? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.

:
Houston (IAH) → London (LHR)7,763 km~10h 6mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 1:06 AM after dark

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:06 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of Houston toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Iron Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and the Barrow Slough on the right.

  • leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
  • leftView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
  • rightView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
  • rightView of Barrow Slough (bay and coastline)

Flight path features

2:03 PM
Daytime

Out over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Atkinson Hills and the Tabletop Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • leftView of Atkinson Hills (mountain range)
  • leftView of Tabletop Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Old Quebec (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Landing views

1:00 AM
After dark

Descending into London from the west, the left window looks out over London & the Thames (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.

  • leftCity lights of London & the Thames (the river's curves through the capital)
  • rightCity lights of Reading (city skyline and lights)

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 Houston to London?

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Atkinson Hills and the Tabletop Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).

What views will you get at takeoff from Houston?

Climbing out of Houston toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Iron Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Galveston Bay and the Barrow Slough on the right.

What about on the descent into London?

Descending into London from the west, the left window looks out over London & the Thames (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.