Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Des Moines to Denver. The left side misses the best of Des Moines on departure but wins decisively on approach to Denver with the full panoramic view of the Front Range, Pikes Peak, and the Denver skyline. The Rocky Mountain approach is the visual highlight of this flight and it belongs to the left side.

During takeoff from Des Moines International (DSM), sit on the Right side for the best views. DSM typically departs runway 13 or 31. On a westbound departure, the aircraft turns southwest, putting the Des Moines skyline and the Raccoon River confluence with the Des Moines River on the right side. The urban core and river valleys are more visible from the right during the climbing turn toward the west. Notable sights include: Des Moines downtown skyline, Raccoon River and Des Moines River confluence, Gray's Lake, Saylorville Lake to the north.

When landing at Denver International (DEN), sit on the Left side for the best views. DEN sits on the plains east of the Rockies. Aircraft typically approach from the east on runways oriented roughly east-west. On approach from the east, the left side faces south and southwest, giving a sustained view of the Front Range including Pikes Peak, the Denver skyline, and the full sweep of the Rocky Mountain Front Range as you descend. The right side faces north with less dramatic terrain. Notable sights include: Rocky Mountain Front Range, Pikes Peak (to the south), Denver skyline, Longs Peak (to the north on the left horizon).

The flight from Des Moines International (DSM) to Denver International (DEN) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses the flat Iowa and Nebraska plains, tracking roughly along the Platte River valley through Nebraska. The Platte River is visible as a wide, braided, shallow river system cutting through agricultural land near Grand Island and Kearney, Nebraska. Western Nebraska transitions into the higher, drier shortgrass prairie of eastern Colorado. The terrain gradually rises almost imperceptibly from around 1,000 feet elevation in Iowa to over 5,000 feet on the Colorado plains before the Front Range appears on the horizon.