Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Munich?
Flying from Seattle to Munich? 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 northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Scablands on the right.
- rightView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- leftView of Cultus Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Scablands (desert expanse)
Flight path features
2:29 PMOut over the Baffin Bay, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Ratchford Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Lilloise Bjerge and the Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes on the right.
- leftCatch the sunset
- rightView of Lilloise Bjerge (mountain range)
- leftView of Ratchford Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes (Vatnajokull ice cap and lava fields)
Landing views
4:53 AMDescending into Munich from the northwest, the left window looks out over Nuremberg (the city spread out below).
- leftCity lights of Nuremberg (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 Seattle to Munich?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Baffin Bay, the left window looks out over the sunset and the Ratchford Range (the low sun on the horizon), with the Lilloise Bjerge and the Iceland's glaciers & volcanoes on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Cultus Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Issaquah Alps and the Scablands on the right.
What about on the descent into Munich?
Descending into Munich from the northwest, the left window looks out over Nuremberg (the city spread out below).