Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Boston to Phoenix. Left side wins both ends of the flight. Over Boston you get the harbor and skyline on departure, and over Phoenix you get South Mountain and the full desert valley on approach. The left side also tracks better over the southern Rockies mid-flight, with views of the Colorado Plateau and potentially the Painted Desert and Mogollon Rim as you descend into Arizona.

During takeoff from General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS), sit on the Left side for the best views. Logan's most common westbound departures use runway 22L/22R, heading southwest over Boston Harbor and the city. The left side gives you a clear look back at downtown Boston, the Charles River, and the harbor islands as you climb out. Right side faces open ocean with little to see. Notable sights include: Downtown Boston skyline, Boston Harbor and its islands, Charles River and Cambridge, Fenway Park neighborhood.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. Phoenix Sky Harbor's most common approach from the east is runway 26, heading west. The left side faces south, giving you a clear view of South Mountain Park, the broad Salt River valley, and the dense Phoenix metro grid spreading across the desert floor. The right side looks north toward Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains, which is also decent, but the south view captures the dramatic contrast of urban sprawl against raw Sonoran Desert. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park and preserve, Salt River bed (usually dry), Phoenix metro grid and downtown skyline, Superstition Mountains on the far eastern horizon during approach.

The flight from General Edward Lawrence Logan International (BOS) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses the Appalachians over upstate New York or Pennsylvania, then the flat agricultural Midwest over Ohio and Indiana. Past St. Louis the terrain rises toward the Ozarks. Over Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle the high plains are visible. Entering New Mexico the terrain climbs noticeably toward the southern Rockies and the Rio Grande valley. The final descent into Phoenix crosses the Mogollon Rim and the Tonto Basin, with the Verde River valley visible before the Phoenix metro comes into view.