Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to London?
Flying from Los Angeles to London? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Bissell Hills, the Laurel Canyon and the Antelope Valley (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills on the right.
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Bissell Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Antelope Valley (desert expanse)
Flight path features
2:40 PMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Fortification Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Wolf Mountains and the Cherry Point on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Wolf Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Fortification Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Cherry Point (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
4:14 AMDescending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames, Birmingham and Coventry (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.
- leftCity lights of London & the Thames (the river's curves through the capital)
- leftCity lights of Birmingham (city skyline and lights)
- rightCity lights of Reading (city skyline and lights)
- leftCity lights of Coventry (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 Los Angeles to London?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Fortification Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Wolf Mountains and the Cherry Point on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Bissell Hills, the Laurel Canyon and the Antelope Valley (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills on the right.
What about on the descent into London?
Descending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames, Birmingham and Coventry (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.