Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Charlotte to Phoenix. While the left side offers a decent Charlotte departure view, the right side delivers the more dramatic payoff on landing into Phoenix with Camelback Mountain, the McDowell Mountains, and the Phoenix grid all visible simultaneously. During the cruise portion heading west-southwest, the right side also faces north, giving better views of the New Mexico high desert, the Mogollon Rim escarpment, and the transition from desert grasslands to the Sonoran Desert.

During takeoff from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), sit on the Left side for the best views. Charlotte Douglas primarily departs westbound on runways 18C/36C or 18L/36L. A westbound departure swings the aircraft northwest, putting the Charlotte skyline and uptown district on the left side. The Catawba River and Lake Norman are also visible to the left as the aircraft climbs out heading west. Notable sights include: Uptown Charlotte skyline, Lake Norman to the northwest, Catawba River corridor, Lake Wylie to the southwest.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Right side for the best views. Phoenix Sky Harbor sits just east of downtown Phoenix, and aircraft typically land westbound on runways 26 or 25R/25L. On a westbound approach from the east, the right side faces north, giving a clear view of the Phoenix metro grid, Camelback Mountain, and the McDowell Mountains. The left side faces south toward South Mountain Park, which is less visually dramatic on approach. Notable sights include: Camelback Mountain, McDowell Mountains, downtown Phoenix skyline, Salt River bed and Tempe Town Lake.

The flight from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses the southern Appalachian foothills leaving Charlotte, then the Alabama and Mississippi state lines, followed by the flat Arkansas and Oklahoma plains. Over New Mexico the terrain rises into the high desert plateau around Albuquerque and the Rio Grande valley. The Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains of eastern Arizona are visible before descending into the Phoenix basin, with the transition from ponderosa pine forest to Sonoran Desert scrub clearly visible from altitude.