Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to London?
Flying from Chicago 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
9:04 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay on the left.
- rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- leftView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of South Haven Harbor (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
1:09 PMOut over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the La Cloche Range and the Copper Range (the low sun on the horizon).
- leftCatch the sunset
- leftView of La Cloche Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Copper Range (mountain range)
- leftView of René-Levasseur Island (island)
Landing views
11:14 PMDescending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames and Birmingham (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)
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 Chicago to London?
Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Labrador Sea, the left window looks out over the sunset, the La Cloche Range and the Copper Range (the low sun on the horizon).
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into London?
Descending into London from the northwest, the left window looks out over London & the Thames and Birmingham (the city spread out below), with Reading on the right.