Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Anchorage to Phoenix. The right side delivers the most dramatic scenery of the flight — the Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm on departure are genuinely spectacular and hard to match. The right side also tracks the Alaska Range and later the Canadian Rockies through British Columbia during cruise. At Phoenix, the left side is better for landing, but the departure views from Anchorage on the right are the highlight of this route.

During takeoff from Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC), sit on the Right side for the best views. Anchorage departures heading south on runway 33L/33R or climbing out over Cook Inlet typically use a right turn toward the south. The right side gives you a direct view of the Chugach Mountains and the dramatic Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. You'll see the city of Anchorage spread across the flat bench between the inlet and the mountains. Notable sights include: Chugach Mountains (directly east), Turnagain Arm (narrow tidal inlet to the southeast), Cook Inlet (broad water body to the west visible from both sides), downtown Anchorage grid on the coastal bluff.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. Phoenix Sky Harbor sits east of downtown Phoenix, and aircraft typically land from the east on runway 26 or from the west on runway 8. On the common westbound approach on runway 26, the left side faces north toward downtown Phoenix, Camelback Mountain, and the broader Valley of the Sun grid. The right side faces south toward less distinctive suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Camelback Mountain (distinctive camel-shaped ridge north of the airport), downtown Phoenix skyline, South Mountain Park (large dark ridge to the south, visible from right side), the Salt River bed running east-west through the valley.

The flight from Ted Stevens Anchorage International (ANC) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

The route tracks south-southeast over the Alaska Range and Wrangell-St. Elias mountains in Alaska, then crosses into British Columbia over the Coast Mountains and Canadian Rockies. Over Washington and Oregon the Cascade Range is visible including Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood. The route then crosses the high desert of Nevada and the Colorado Plateau before descending into the Sonoran Desert basin of Phoenix.