An influential blogger renowned in the world of travel has established a guideline listing which side of an airplane is ideal for catching the best view of a destination during descent and landing.
Using the comments of French community group AVGeeks, website Alexterieur.net set out to determine which side of an airplane offers the best views on landing in nearly 20 world destinations. The blogger in charge of the site has warned that weather conditions can sometimes force the aircraft to modify its landing trajectory. Nevertheless, the blogger's guidelines allow passengers to plan ahead and book the ideal seats.
Amongst the many voyages that offer spectacular views of a city even before the plane lands on the tarmac, Los Angeles is one of the most picturesque. The famous Hollywood sign generall appears to the right of the aircraft amid the surrounding hills of the city. It is also a good idea to be seated on the right side of the plane when landing in Las Vegas, London, Paris and Toronto.
Inversely, the landing aficionado advises reserving a late flight into Berlin as the city reveals all of its beauty thanks to its skyline lights that can be seen as far as the Tegel airport, as long as you're seated to the left of the plane. It's important to mention that this does not apply for arrivals to the city via Berlin's Schönefeld airport.
Other cities that you can discover from the sky -- and from the left side of the plane -- are the Big Apple, Dubai, Chicago, San Francisco and Sydney.
Book your seat to the left of the plane for the following destinations:
New York
Montreal
Dubai
Chicago
Singapore
Berlin
San Francisco
Beijing
Sydney
Book your seat to the right of the plane for the following destinations:
Shanghai
Los Angeles
London
Paris
Toronto
Tokyo
Barcelona
Lisbon
Las Vegas
And off the record, here are a few extra tips for those of you who would like to combine a great view, with safety, relaxation, legroom or enough storage:
· An extensive study from Popular Mechanics found that passengers near the tail of a plane are about 40 percent more likely to survive a crash than those in the first few rows. Seats behind the trailing edge of the wings -- not over them -- had the highest survival rates. And choosing an aisle means you'll likely deplane more quickly in an emergency that requires evacuation.
· Frequent fliers say windows are off-center on the left side, providing a better spot to lay your head. The middle of an aircraft ensures you won't be bothered by bathroom lines or noisy galleys.
· Almost all airlines (United Airlines and US Airways are noticeable exceptions) follow a back-to-front loading procedure, so if you're in a rear seat you'll get first dibs on overhead bin space.
· Exit row seats typically offer more space: a whopping 37-41 inches of pitch in JetBlue's Even More Space seats (though you'll have to pay extra for it), compared to 33 inches in JetBlue's regular rows. Picking an exit seat on the edge means you can stretch your legs into the aisle. Bulkhead seats may seem tempting, but consider that some will stuff your legs into cut-outs less than a foot high.
Last Modified: Mar 25, 2019