First, a warning
No one can promise you a view. The runway a plane lands on depends on the wind on the day, air traffic control can send it a different way in, and cloud can hide everything. What you can do is improve your odds, and avoid the side with the sun glaring in. Treat everything below as a good bet, not a guarantee.
On almost every plane, seat A is on the left (the window you see on your left when facing the front) and the highest letter, usually F on a short-haul jet, is on the right.
Rule 1: work out which way you're flying
Most holiday flights from the UK head south or south-east, to Spain, Portugal, Greece and the Canaries. When you fly south:
- The left side faces east. That's the side where the sun rises.
- The right side faces west. That's the side where it sets, and the side facing the Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal.
Coming home, flying north, it's the other way round. On a long-haul flight west to the USA or Canada, the left side faces south and the right faces north, which matters if you're hoping to see Greenland or Iceland on a northern route.
Rule 2: decide whether you want the sun
In the northern hemisphere the sun is always in the southern half of the sky, so on a flight south it's mostly ahead of you. Morning sun comes in on the left; afternoon and evening sun comes in on the right.
- For photos and views of the ground, sit on the side away from the sun. You'll get less glare and better colour. On a morning flight south, that's the right side.
- For a sunset, sit on the west-facing side: the right going south, the left coming home.
- For a cool, dim cabin on a long sunny flight, the side away from the sun is more comfortable, and you won't be asked to pull your blind down.
Rule 3: sit in front of or behind the wing
Wherever you sit, the wing can block most of the view below you. On a typical short-haul jet like an A320 or 737, the wing sits roughly over the middle third of the cabin. A window a few rows in front of the wing gives the clearest view; a window behind it gives a good view too, plus the wing itself against the scenery, which can make a great photo. Seat maps on the airline's website or app show where the wing is.
Madeira: the famous landing
Funchal's runway sits on a narrow strip of coast between the mountains and the sea, partly on stilts, and the approach is one of the most dramatic in Europe. Planes usually come in along the south coast and often make a sharp turn close to the runway, so both sides tend to get a view at some point.
Regular travellers mostly recommend the right side for the longest view of the coast and the cliffs on the usual approach, but a change of wind can bring you in the other way, when the left side sees the turn. It's a landing worth booking a window for either way. Read our Madeira guide for what to do once you're on the ground.
The Alps: Geneva and flights to Italy and Greece
On a clear day, flights from the UK to Italy, Croatia and Greece cross the Alps, and the view of glaciers and peaks is unforgettable. Which side sees the best of them changes with the route the plane is sent on, so there's no reliable rule. If you can, pick a seat away from the sun (the right side in the morning) and look out on both sides once you're over France.
Flying into Geneva for Chamonix or a ski trip, the approach runs along Lake Geneva with the Alps beyond it. Passengers often report the best view of the lake and mountains from the left, but the runway in use decides it. Our Interlaken and Lake Garda guides are good reasons to make the trip in summer, too.
Coming home to London
Heathrow says it uses westerly operations about 70% of the time, because the wind in the UK mostly blows from the west. On those days, arriving planes approach from the east, over central London, often roughly following the Thames past the City and Westminster. That's when the views are best, but whether the river and landmarks end up on your side depends on the exact path, and passengers' experiences differ. If you can see the river from your window as you descend, you're on the right side.
On easterly days, roughly three in ten, planes approach from the west over Berkshire and the view is mostly suburbs and reservoirs.
The Canaries, Portugal and Spain
On flights south to Lisbon, Porto, Tenerife and the Canaries, routes often cross the Bay of Biscay and head down over or near the Atlantic coast. When the plane is over the sea, any land in view will be on the left, the east side, while the right looks out over open ocean, which is the better side for a sunset on an evening flight. Routes vary, so this is a lean rather than a rule.
Arriving in Tenerife, planes landing at Tenerife South often pass near the coast, and on a clear day Mount Teide can appear above the clouds on whichever side faces inland.
Long-haul: northern lights and Greenland
On a winter night flight from the UK to North America, the northern lights are sometimes visible from the north-facing side, which is the right side flying west and the left side coming back. Northern routes to the west coast of the USA and Canada sometimes cross Greenland in daylight, and the right side is again the one facing north.
If seeing the aurora is the point of the trip, a few nights in Tromsø, Lofoten or Reykjavik are a far better bet than a window seat.
Is it worth paying for a seat?
On most short flights, choosing a specific seat costs extra, and for many routes the view isn't worth it. It's worth paying for a few: the landing at Madeira, a clear-day crossing of the Alps, and anywhere your flight lands at sunset. For everything else, check in as early as you can and ask for a window; free seat allocation is random, but you can often swap once you're on board.
If you're still deciding where to go in the first place, start with our destination guides.