Which side of the plane to sit on: Mexico City to Phoenix?
Flying from Mexico City to Phoenix? 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 Mexico City toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco and Teotihuacan on the right.
- leftView of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
- leftView of Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain range)
- rightView of Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Teotihuacan (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
10:24 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sierra Patos and Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Baqueteros and St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí on the right.
- rightView of Sierra Baqueteros (mountain range)
- leftView of Sierra Patos (mountain range)
- rightView of St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
10:46 AMDescending into Phoenix from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Picacho Mountains and the Madera Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Peralta Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Picacho Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Santa Catalina Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Peralta Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Madera 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 Mexico City to Phoenix?
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 Sierra Patos and Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Baqueteros and St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Mexico City?
Climbing out of Mexico City toward the northwest, the left window looks out over the Santa Catarina and the Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco and Teotihuacan on the right.
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Picacho Mountains and the Madera Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Peralta Canyon on the right.