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Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to Zurich?

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

:
New York (JFK) → Zurich (ZRH)6,310 km~8h 17mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 11:17 PM after dark

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:04 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.

  • leftView of Candlewood Hills (mountain range)
  • rightView of Shinnecock Hills (mountain range)
  • rightView of the Atlantic coastline
  • rightView of Long Island (island)

Flight path features

1:08 PM
Daytime

Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Cobequid Mountains and the Slieve Miskish Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • leftView of Cobequid Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Slieve Miskish Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Great Skellig (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Landing views

11:12 PM
After dark

Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over Zürich (the city spread out below).

  • rightCity lights of Zürich (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 New York to Zurich?

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Cobequid Mountains and the Slieve Miskish Mountains (the low sun on the horizon).

What views will you get at takeoff from New York?

Climbing out of New York toward the northeast over the Atlantic, the right window looks out over the Shinnecock Hills, the coastline and the Long Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Candlewood Hills on the left.

What about on the descent into Zurich?

Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over Zürich (the city spread out below).