Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Baltimore to Los Angeles. The right side wins overall because the LAX arrival on the right seat delivers the most dramatic sustained scenery — the full panorama of the LA Basin, Santa Monica Mountains, and San Gabriel Mountains. Mid-flight, the right side also captures the Colorado Rockies and Mojave Desert terrain better as the route tracks southwest across the continental interior.

During takeoff from Baltimore Washington International (BWI), sit on the Left side for the best views. BWI primarily departs westbound on runway 28L/28R, so a left (south-facing) seat gives you a clear view of the Chesapeake Bay and the Baltimore Inner Harbor as you climb out. You'll see the Bay Bridge and the broad expanse of the upper Chesapeake before the aircraft turns southwest. Notable sights include: Chesapeake Bay and Bay Bridge, Baltimore Inner Harbor, Patapsco River estuary, Annapolis peninsula.

When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX arrivals typically come in from the east on runway 24L/24R heading west, so a right (north-facing) seat gives you the Santa Monica Mountains, the Hollywood Hills, and the Los Angeles Basin spread out below. You'll see Griffith Observatory, the downtown LA skyline, and the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance before crossing the coast. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Mountains, downtown Los Angeles skyline, San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Monica Bay coastline.

The flight from Baltimore Washington International (BWI) to Los Angeles International (LAX) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes westbound.

The route crosses the Appalachians over West Virginia, then the flat Ohio and Indiana farmland, before reaching the Mississippi River near St. Louis. West of there the terrain rises through the Ozarks and into the southern Great Plains of Oklahoma and Texas panhandle. The Rockies appear over New Mexico and Colorado, followed by the high desert plateau of Arizona and the Mojave Desert before the final descent into the LA Basin.