Window Seat

Which side to sit on from San Francisco to Phoenix?

Sit on the right side flying San Francisco (SFO) to Phoenix (PHX). It has the better view on 8 of 13 daily flights, with LA, Long Beach and SF.

By time of day

DepartsSideAgreeHighlights
MorningLeft2 of 4 flightsSan Jose, Bakersfield, Phoenix
AfternoonLeft3 of 5 flightsSouth Bay Salt Ponds, Phoenix, San Jose
EveningRight4 of 4 flightsSan Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles

What you'll see

  • SF on the right, 2 min after takeoff
  • Oakland on the right, 2 min after takeoff
  • Oakland Port on the right, 2 min after takeoff
  • OAK on the right, 2 min after takeoff
  • NUQ on the left, 8 min after takeoff
  • SJC on the left, 9 min after takeoff
  • San Jose on the left, 10 min after takeoff
  • Bakersfield on the left, 36 min after takeoff
  • LA on the right, 47 min after takeoff
  • Long Beach on the right, 47 min after takeoff
  • Salton Sea on the right, 63 min after takeoff
  • Phoenix on the left, 95 min after takeoff
Map of the San Francisco to Phoenix flight path with its landmarks on each side

Based on 13 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 San Francisco to Phoenix?

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 San Francisco to Phoenix in Window Seat

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