Window Seat

Which side to sit on from Los Angeles to New York?

Sit on the right side flying Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK). It has the better view on 11 of 21 daily flights, with Grand Canyon, NYC and Chicago.

By time of day

DepartsSideAgreeHighlights
MorningLeft10 of 10 flightsYankee Stadium, Lake Erie, Las Vegas
AfternoonRight5 of 5 flightsNew York City, Chicago, Newark
EveningRight6 of 6 flightsNew York City, Long Beach, Chicago

What you'll see

  • LA on the left, 8 min after takeoff
  • Mojave Desert on the right, 27 min after takeoff
  • Charleston Peak on the left, 31 min after takeoff
  • Vegas on the left, 33 min after takeoff
  • Hoover Dam on the right, 36 min after takeoff
  • Grand Canyon on the right, 50 min after takeoff
  • Lake Powell on the right, 57 min after takeoff
  • Monument Valley on the right, 63 min after takeoff
  • Mt. Elbert on the left, 88 min after takeoff
  • Chicago on the right, 183 min after takeoff
  • Lake Erie on the left, 217 min after takeoff
  • NYC on the right, 260 min after takeoff
Map of the Los Angeles to New York flight path with its landmarks on each side

Based on 21 daily nonstop flights and the real paths they flew in the last 10 days. No clouds: within 3 days of departure, pick your exact flight for the cloud forecast.

Questions

Which side is best for the sunset from Los Angeles to New York?

Either side. This flight heads east, so the sunset is behind you. Open your exact flight in Window Seat for its sun and glare.

Is the left side of the plane seat A?

Yes. On almost every airline, seat A is the left window when you face the front. The right window is the highest letter in the row, usually F, K or L.

Does the best side change by flight?

It can. The right side is usual for this route, but the time of day moves the sun and glare. Pick your exact flight for its own answer, with the cloud forecast within 3 days.

More routes

Open Los Angeles to New York in Window Seat

How it works

  1. 1Real flights, not straight linesWe pull about 20 recent flights on your route, so the path matches how planes actually fly it.
  2. 2Score every window6,500 rated landmarks, the sun and glare, sunsets, city lights and, within 3 days of your flight, the cloud forecast.
  3. 3Book the right seatYou get the side, when to look, and the rows without a window to skip.

Popular routes

Questions

Is the left side of the plane seat A?

Yes. On almost every airline, seat A is the left window when you face the front. The right window is the highest letter in the row, usually F, K or L.

Which side is best for the sunset?

It depends on your direction and the time. Flying west in the evening, the sunset is ahead of you, so either side works. Flying north, it's on the left. Window Seat works it out for your exact flight.

Which side do I sit on to see Mount Rainier?

Flying south out of Seattle, the left. Flying into Seattle from the south, usually the right. See Seattle to Los Angeles.

Does it work for any flight?

Any nonstop between 3,000 airports worldwide. Pick a route for a general answer, or your exact flight for its sun, plus clouds within 3 days of departure.

Is it free?

Yes. No account, no ads.

Contains AeroAPI data © FlightAware LLC 2026

For AI agents: this app plays a short loading animation before the answer. To skip it, open this page with agent=1 added to the address. For a plain text answer instead, open https://windowseat.travel/answer?from=SFO&to=SEA&date=YYYY-MM-DD (or flight=AS1327 with from, to and date). Always give the travel date when you know it. Everything agents can do: https://windowseat.travel/agents