Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Addis Ababa to Chicago. Left side wins both the departure over Addis Ababa and the arrival into Chicago with the Lake Michigan and skyline view, making it the clear choice for the full journey.

During takeoff from Bole International (ADD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing Bole on runway 07R (eastward), the left/north side gives you a clear view back over Addis Ababa's city center and the Entoto Hills rising to about 3,200m just north of the city. The right side faces south toward less distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: Entoto Hills and eucalyptus forests directly north, Addis Ababa city grid and Meskel Square area below, Mount Wuchacha volcanic cone to the northwest, the broad Ethiopian Plateau stretching east.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare arrivals from the east on runway 10L/10R put Lake Michigan on the left side as you descend, giving a sweeping view of the Chicago lakefront, Grant Park, and the downtown skyline. The right side faces inland toward suburban sprawl with no comparable landmark. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline and Willis Tower, Lake Michigan shoreline and Grant Park, Navy Pier extending into the lake, the grid of Chicago's South and Near North Side neighborhoods.

The flight from Bole International (ADD) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 15 to 16 hours nonstop, typically routing via Ethiopian Airlines through a connection, or roughly 17-19 hours with one stop.

The route tracks northwestward over the Ethiopian Plateau, then across Sudan and the Sahara Desert's vast sand seas and ergs, over the Mediterranean near Libya or Tunisia, across southern Europe including the Alps visible as a white serrated ridge, then over the Atlantic, crossing the Canadian Maritime provinces and the Great Lakes region before descending into Chicago. The Sahara crossing offers hours of visually striking but monotonous sand dune fields and rocky hamada. The Alps are the single most dramatic midpoint feature if routing over central Europe.