Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Edinburgh to New York. The left side wins both the departure from Edinburgh and the most common JFK approach configuration, making it the clear choice for the full journey. Over the Atlantic the views are similar on both sides, but the left side also faces south toward Iceland and Greenland's southern tip on the great circle route, offering occasional glimpses of ice fields and fjords in good visibility.

During takeoff from Edinburgh (EDI), sit on the Left side for the best views. Edinburgh typically departs on runway 06/24 or 12/30. On a westbound departure climbing out over the Firth of Forth, the left side gives you Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town skyline, then the Forth Bridges as you turn northwest. The right side faces south toward the Pentland Hills but misses the city centre entirely. Notable sights include: Edinburgh Castle and Old Town, Forth Rail Bridge and Forth Road Bridge, Arthur's Seat volcanic plug, Firth of Forth estuary.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK approaches typically come in from the east or northeast on runway 13L/13R or 22L/22R. On the standard approach from the northeast over Long Island, the left side faces south toward the Atlantic and Jamaica Bay, while the right side looks north over Long Island suburbs — but on the more common 13L approach tracking southwest, the left side picks up Jamaica Bay and the lower Manhattan skyline in the distance. On a 22L approach from the east, the left side faces southeast over the open Atlantic with little to see, so the right side wins that configuration. Overall the left side is more rewarding on the dominant northeast approach. Notable sights include: Jamaica Bay and its wildlife refuge, Lower Manhattan skyline on the horizon, Coney Island barrier beach, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

The flight from Edinburgh (EDI) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 8 to 9 hours westbound.

The great circle route tracks northwest from Scotland over the Hebrides and the North Atlantic, passing south of Iceland and over the southern tip of Greenland where ice sheets and fjords may be visible in clear conditions, then southwest over Labrador and the Canadian Maritimes before descending over New England and Long Island toward JFK.