Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Barcelona to New York. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. Over the Atlantic the views are largely featureless ocean regardless of side, so the departure and arrival scenery are the deciding factors, and left delivers the Barcelona cityscape on takeoff and Jamaica Bay plus the Manhattan horizon on approach.

During takeoff from Barcelona (BCN), sit on the Left side for the best views. Barcelona's runway 25L/25R sends aircraft westward over the city before turning northwest. Left side gives you the full Barcelona waterfront, the Gothic Quarter grid, and Montjuïc hill as you climb out over the city. Right side faces inland toward flat agricultural plains. Notable sights include: Barcelona waterfront and Port Olímpic, Montjuïc hill, the dense urban grid of the Eixample district, Tibidabo hill and Collserola ridge.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK typically uses runways 31L/31R for westerly arrivals, with aircraft approaching from the southeast over the Atlantic. Left side faces south and east, giving views over Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways barrier beach, and the lower Manhattan skyline in the distance to the northwest. Right side faces inland over Queens residential neighborhoods. Notable sights include: Jamaica Bay and its wildlife refuge islands, the Rockaways barrier peninsula, lower Manhattan skyline on the distant horizon, Coney Island and Brighton Beach shoreline.

The flight from Barcelona (BCN) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 8 to 9 hours.

The route tracks northwest from Barcelona across the Pyrenees, then over the Bay of Biscay and the northern tip of Spain or southern England depending on routing, before crossing the North Atlantic along a great circle arc passing south of Greenland and Iceland. The mid-Atlantic portion is open ocean with occasional cloud systems. As the flight approaches North America, the coast of Newfoundland or Nova Scotia may be visible before the descent toward New York.