Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Phoenix?
Flying from Seattle to Phoenix? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Goat Rocks (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Seattle toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Goat Rocks, the Sourdough Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks).
- leftView of Goat Rocks (mountain range)
- leftView of Sourdough Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Scablands (desert expanse)
Flight path features
10:15 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the White Pine Range, the Crooked Creek Range and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Tule Desert on the right.
- leftView of White Pine Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Crooked Creek Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
- rightView of Tule Desert (desert expanse)
Landing views
11:29 AMDescending into Phoenix from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Santa Maria Mountains, the Hieroglyphic Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Big Spring Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Santa Maria Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Hieroglyphic Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Black Canyon (deep canyon)
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 Phoenix?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Goat Rocks (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the White Pine Range, the Crooked Creek Range and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Tule Desert on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Goat Rocks, the Sourdough Mountains and the Whidby Island (mountain ridges and peaks).
What about on the descent into Phoenix?
Descending into Phoenix from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Santa Maria Mountains, the Hieroglyphic Mountains and the Black Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Big Spring Canyon on the left.