Seats with a view?

December 12, 2006 12:59 AM

I'm flying from Geneva to New York tomorrow - what side of the plane should I sit on?

I'm checking in online so should be able to choose a window seat with a decent view (ie towards the back so the wings don't obscure too much). Obviously there are many factors, such as the weather, the routing, the takeoff and landing runways etc but the flight is in the daytime and I enjoy watching the world go by beneath me. I'm tending towards sitting on the right side facing the direction of travel - does anyone have any thoughts. Or doesn't it make the slightest bit of difference?

posted by jontyjago to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total)

First of all what airport are you flying in to?
posted by crashlanding at 1:06 AM on December 12, 2006

Response by poster: JFK
posted by jontyjago at 1:10 AM on December 12, 2006

Your flight is mainly overwater so it shouldnt make too much difference. When you hit North America though you will likely be hugging the coastline going down so a seat on the right-side will likely give you better views...
posted by vacapinta at 1:14 AM on December 12, 2006

well, went i went to europe from the states i thought it was cool to look out and see icebergs at night (full moon) so depending on time and flight path you might go with right side to see north
posted by efalk at 1:21 AM on December 12, 2006

What time does the flight leave? And what carrier? It's one thing to have a seat with a view... it's quite another to have a bad seat with a view.
posted by nathan_teske at 1:28 AM on December 12, 2006

Response by poster: It leaves around midday and arrives at 3, on Swiss. I will use Seatguru when making the final choice...
posted by jontyjago at 1:38 AM on December 12, 2006

My vote is for the INside. :) Sorry, I couldn't resist.
posted by Thrillhouse at 4:37 AM on December 12, 2006

The sun will be shining in the left side windows, so you can probably see better on the right side.
posted by jjj606 at 4:49 AM on December 12, 2006

If you arrive at terminal 4, on your way to customs you will pass through a very long corridor with a series of 4 foot square 3D/animated panels suspended along your route. They tell rather kinky little stories, if you follow them in sequence.

(end off-topic self-link)
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:22 AM on December 12, 2006

Right will give you some great views of NE Canada & possibly Greenland flying from EU to US. Glaciers and all sorts. However, the only time I've flown EU–JFK, the passengers on the port side got a better view of the island although that might depend on if you're having to stack before you land.

I'm flying LON-JFK next month and I'm on the right. Gawking out of the window with minimal cloud is one of the great pleasures of flying.
posted by i_cola at 5:42 AM on December 12, 2006

I wouldn't try to sit near the back on any flight, but particularly on a long flight. It is noticeably louder at the back of a plane than towards the front, the meal service or whatever service you get is generally better at the front (it's faster and if there's choice, there's likely more choice for front passengers than in the back). On most planes in the first 5 or 6 rows of economy you're ahead of the wings - and remember the wings are swept back, so it's ideal. Also, in my experience they tend to put families with small children towards the back, so if there's going to be a crying baby, you're more likely to avoid that at the front of the plane.

I would try for the right front of the economy section - as close to the front as I could get.
posted by mikel at 6:02 AM on December 12, 2006

Starboard, check. Almost a universal rule for any flight. On eight of the first nine routes that I know, the right side is superior.
posted by rokusan at 6:05 AM on December 12, 2006

Sides don't matter, just make sure you sit in the front. That way you will have the doctor and the funny, fat fella on your team on the island.
posted by nineRED at 6:39 AM on December 12, 2006

Response by poster: Thank you all for your help - I've gone for 37K which is obviously towards the back, but on the right. Assuming the same runway is in use tomorrow as today then I'll miss Mont Blanc as we take off, but right sounds best to me overall. The front of economy is right over the wing on a A330, so that was a no go.

And, StickyCarpet, yes I am landing at T4 - I'll keep an eye out for the panels. I'll need something to cheer me up after shit food service and all those crying babies...
posted by jontyjago at 7:28 AM on December 12, 2006

A word of warning - Swiss has become sort of the Low Cost Carrier of the Lufthansa family. As such economy class is very cattle car like. Think 3-5-3 and a 32 inch seat pitch in an A340/A330. I flew the same route you are doing in reverse back in September, and it was brutal.
posted by JPD at 7:33 AM on December 12, 2006

Look north, you might see the northern lights. Greatest flight of my life we had northern lights over Baffin and Greenland -- mind you that was a Vancouver: London flight, you might not swing far enough North.
posted by Rumple at 9:03 AM on December 12, 2006