Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Boston to Istanbul. While the right side wins at Boston departure, the left side delivers the more dramatic payoff: a sustained view of the Sea of Marmara and the unmistakable Istanbul skyline on approach. Over the Atlantic and Europe the views are broadly similar, but the Istanbul arrival on the left is the single most visually rewarding moment of the flight.

During takeoff from General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Logan's most common eastward departures off Runway 33L/22R swing out over Boston Harbor and then north, giving right-side passengers a clear look back at downtown Boston, the Charles River, and the harbor islands. Left-side passengers face the open Atlantic with little to see. Notable sights include: Downtown Boston skyline, Boston Harbor and its islands, Charles River basin, Cambridge and MIT campus.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Ataturk Airport's predominant westerly approaches (Runway 06/24 axis) bring aircraft in from over the Sea of Marmara. Left-side passengers get a prolonged view of the Marmara, the Bosphorus Strait, and the historic Istanbul peninsula with its dense Ottoman-era skyline before touchdown. Right-side faces suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Sea of Marmara, Bosphorus Strait, historic Istanbul peninsula (Sultanahmet/Hagia Sophia area), Prince's Islands in the Marmara.

The flight from General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The flight tracks northeast from Boston, crossing Nova Scotia and Newfoundland before heading over the North Atlantic. It crosses Ireland and southern England, then passes over France, the Alps (visible as a broad white mountain mass), northern Italy, and the Adriatic Sea. Over the Balkans, passengers may see the Dinaric Alps and the rugged terrain of Bulgaria before descending toward the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara.