Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to Mexico City?
Flying from New York to Mexico City? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of New York toward the southwest over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Independence Hall (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hominy Hills and the coastline on the left.
- leftView of Hominy Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
- rightView of Independence Hall (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of the Atlantic coastline
Flight path features
11:15 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the South Mountains, the Saluda Mountains and Monticello and the University of Virginia (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of South Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Saluda Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Monticello and the University of Virginia (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Cabo Rojo (island)
Landing views
11:28 AMDescending into Mexico City from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Cerros La Soledad, Mexico City and the Metztitlan Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Catarina on the left.
- leftView of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
- rightView of Cerros La Soledad (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 New York to Mexico City?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Watchung Outliers (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the South Mountains, the Saluda Mountains and Monticello and the University of Virginia (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from New York?
Climbing out of New York toward the southwest over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Independence Hall (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hominy Hills and the coastline on the left.
What about on the descent into Mexico City?
Descending into Mexico City from the northeast, the right window looks out over the Cerros La Soledad, Mexico City and the Metztitlan Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Catarina on the left.