Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Houston?
Flying from Los Angeles to Houston? 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 Los Angeles toward the east over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Box Springs Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Box Springs Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of the Pacific coastline
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:33 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Jarilla Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Estrella on the right.
- leftView of Jarilla Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra Estrella (mountain range)
- leftView of Carlsbad Caverns National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
2:02 PMDescending into Houston from the west, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Houston (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).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Los Angeles to Houston?
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 Jarilla Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Estrella on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the east over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Box Springs Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the left.
What about on the descent into Houston?
Descending into Houston from the west, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.