Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Madrid?
Flying from Los Angeles to Madrid? 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
9:07 AMClimbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Long Buttes, the Laurel Canyon and the High Desert (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills on the right.
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Long Buttes (mountain range)
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of High Desert (desert expanse)
Flight path features
3:03 PMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Bull Valley Mountains, the Roan Cliffs and the Nomansland Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset on the left.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Bull Valley Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Roan Cliffs (mountain range)
- rightView of Nomansland Point (peninsula coastline)
Landing views
6:00 AMDescending into Madrid from the northwest, the left window looks out over Valladolid (the city spread out below).
- leftCity lights of Valladolid (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 Madrid?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Bull Valley Mountains, the Roan Cliffs and the Nomansland Point (mountain ridges and peaks), with the sunset on the left.
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 Long Buttes, the Laurel Canyon and the High Desert (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills on the right.
What about on the descent into Madrid?
Descending into Madrid from the northwest, the left window looks out over Valladolid (the city spread out below).