Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Boston?
Flying from Seattle to Boston? 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Seattle toward the east, the right window looks out over the Wenache Mountains, the Porter Hills and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the left.
- rightView of Wenache Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Porter Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Yaxon Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
11:38 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Cabinet Mountains, Kingston Fortifications and the St. Joseph Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Henderson Hills on the right.
- leftView of Cabinet Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Henderson Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Kingston Fortifications (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of St. Joseph Island (island)
Landing views
5:17 PMDescending into Boston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Pisgah Mountain Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wapack Range and the Desert of Maine on the left.
- leftView of Wapack Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Pisgah Mountain Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Noepe (island)
- leftView of Desert of Maine (desert expanse)
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 Boston?
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 Cabinet Mountains, Kingston Fortifications and the St. Joseph Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Henderson Hills on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the east, the right window looks out over the Wenache Mountains, the Porter Hills and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the left.
What about on the descent into Boston?
Descending into Boston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Pisgah Mountain Range and the Noepe (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wapack Range and the Desert of Maine on the left.