Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Anchorage?
Flying from Seattle to Anchorage? 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 Seattle toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gowlland Range and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Quilcene Range and the Goblins Gate on the left.
- leftView of Quilcene Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Gowlland Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Goblins Gate (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:37 AMOut over the Pacific, the left window looks out over Cape Range and the Calvert Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Prince of Wales Range and the Hunter Island on the right.
- leftView of Cape Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Prince of Wales Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Calvert Island (island)
- rightView of Hunter Island (island)
Landing views
11:10 AMDescending into Anchorage from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Mystery Hills and the Knight Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Shell Hills and the Hinchinbrook Island on the right.
- leftView of Mystery Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Shell Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Hinchinbrook Island (island)
- leftView of Knight Island (island)
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 Seattle to Anchorage?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Pacific, the left window looks out over Cape Range and the Calvert Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Prince of Wales Range and the Hunter Island on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gowlland Range and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Quilcene Range and the Goblins Gate on the left.
What about on the descent into Anchorage?
Descending into Anchorage from the southeast, the left window looks out over the Mystery Hills and the Knight Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Shell Hills and the Hinchinbrook Island on the right.