Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Abu Dhabi to Chicago. Left side wins at both ends of the flight — Abu Dhabi city and Gulf coastline on departure, and the Chicago skyline with Lake Michigan on arrival. The right side offers mainly open desert and featureless ocean at both airports.

During takeoff from Abu Dhabi International (AUH), sit on the Left side for the best views. Abu Dhabi International typically departs northwest on runway 31L/31R, putting the left side facing southwest over Abu Dhabi city, the Corniche waterfront, and the dense island urban core. You get a clear view of the city grid, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque area, and the Arabian Gulf coastline receding toward the horizon. Notable sights include: Abu Dhabi Corniche waterfront, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque district, Abu Dhabi island urban grid, Arabian Gulf coastal shallows.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare predominantly uses runways oriented east-west or northwest-southeast; arrivals from the northeast on runways 10L/10R or from the northwest on 27L/27R put the left side facing south toward downtown Chicago. The left seat gives a clear view of the Chicago skyline, Lake Michigan's southern shoreline, and the urban lakefront as you descend over the northern suburbs. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan southern shoreline, Chicago River corridor, northern suburban grid.

The flight from Abu Dhabi International (AUH) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 14 to 15 hours.

The route tracks northwest from Abu Dhabi across the Arabian Peninsula, over Iraq and eastern Turkey or the Black Sea region, then across Ukraine or Poland, over the North Atlantic near Greenland or Iceland depending on the jetstream routing, then across eastern Canada (Hudson Bay area or Quebec), the Great Lakes, and finally into Chicago. Notable features include the Zagros Mountains of Iran/Iraq visible early in the flight, the Black Sea, Greenland's ice sheet on polar routings, and the Great Lakes — particularly Lake Huron and Lake Michigan — in the final hours.