Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Charlotte to San Diego. Right side wins at both ends of the flight. During the cruise over the Southwest you also get better views of the Sonoran Desert, lower Colorado River crossing, and the approach into the Salton Sea basin on the right side. Left side has some Rockies views over New Mexico but the right-side payoff at San Diego is hard to beat.

During takeoff from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), sit on the Right side for the best views. CLT primarily uses runways 18C/36C and 18L/36L oriented north-south. Departures heading west toward SAN typically use runway 18 (southbound) or involve a westward turn after takeoff. The right side gives you a clear view of uptown Charlotte's skyline as you climb out, plus the broader Piedmont landscape. Left side faces away from the city center. Notable sights include: Uptown Charlotte skyline, Lake Norman to the north, Catawba River corridor, South Carolina Piedmont rolling terrain.

When landing at San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN), sit on the Right side for the best views. SAN's runway 27 (the primary arrival runway) has aircraft approaching from the east over Mission Valley and downtown San Diego, touching down heading west toward the bay. The right side faces south, giving you views of downtown San Diego, San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the Coronado Bridge on final approach — one of the most dramatic urban approaches in the US. Left side looks north toward Mission Bay and less dramatic terrain. Notable sights include: Downtown San Diego skyline, San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and Coronado Bridge, Point Loma peninsula.

The flight from Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) to San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN) takes Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours.

The flight crosses the southern Appalachian foothills leaving Charlotte, then the broad Mississippi floodplain near Memphis or Jackson, the Texas Hill Country and Edwards Plateau, the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas and New Mexico, the Rio Grande corridor near El Paso, the Sonoran Desert of Arizona including the Phoenix metro sprawl, the lower Colorado River marking the Arizona-California border, the Salton Sea (a large inland saline lake clearly visible from altitude), and the Anza-Borrego Desert before descending into the San Diego coastal basin