Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Mexico City?
Flying from San Francisco to Mexico City? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast, the right window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
- leftView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of the the sea coastline
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
Flight path features
11:03 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Sierra El Chuchupate, the Cerros de Rancho Viejo and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Sierra El Chuchupate (mountain range)
- rightView of Cerros de Rancho Viejo (mountain range)
- rightView of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (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
2:03 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)
- rightView of Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (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 San Francisco to Mexico City?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Sierra El Chuchupate, the Cerros de Rancho Viejo and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (mountain ridges and peaks).
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast, the right window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
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.