Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to Mexico City?
Flying from Phoenix to Mexico City? 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 Phoenix toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain, the Peralta Canyon and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Picacho Mountains on the right.
- rightView of Picacho Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Peralta Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:24 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sierra Baqueteros and St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Patos and Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco on the right.
- leftView of Sierra Baqueteros (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra Patos (mountain range)
- leftView of St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
12:46 PMDescending into Mexico City from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Santa Catarina, the Cerros Los Potrerillos and Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco on the left.
- rightView of Santa Catarina (mountain range)
- rightView of Cerros Los Potrerillos (mountain range)
- leftView of Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
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 Phoenix to Mexico City?
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 Baqueteros and St. Louis the King Cathedral, San Luis Potosí (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sierra Patos and Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Phoenix?
Climbing out of Phoenix toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Usery Mountain, the Peralta Canyon and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Picacho Mountains on the right.
What about on the descent into Mexico City?
Descending into Mexico City from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Santa Catarina, the Cerros Los Potrerillos and Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (mountain ridges and peaks), with Templo y exconvento de San Francisco on the left.