Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Medellin to New York. The JFK landing approach on the left side delivers one of the most iconic urban arrival views in aviation — the Manhattan skyline framed across Jamaica Bay. While the right side at EOH departure is excellent for Andean valley scenery, the left side wins overall because it captures both the Colombian valley on departure (you still see the valley from the left, just the western slopes) and the definitive New York arrival view.

During takeoff from Olaya Herrera (EOH), sit on the Right side for the best views. EOH sits in the Aburrá Valley running roughly north-south. Departures heading north on runway 01 put the right side facing east toward the steep Andean ridgeline and the urban sprawl of Medellín climbing the valley walls. You get a direct look at the densely packed comunas on the eastern slopes before the aircraft clears the cordillera. Notable sights include: Medellín's eastern comunas on the valley hillsides, the Cerro El Volador hill to the northwest visible briefly, the Andes Eastern Cordillera ridge east of the valley, the Aburrá Valley floor with the Medellín River running through it.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary arrival runways 31L and 31R have aircraft approaching from the southeast over Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway Peninsula. The left side faces north and east, giving a clear view of the Manhattan skyline across Jamaica Bay as you descend, plus the broad sweep of Long Island. The right side faces south toward the Atlantic, which is featureless ocean. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline visible to the north across Jamaica Bay, Jamaica Bay itself with its barrier islands and wildlife refuge, the Rockaway Peninsula below, Brooklyn's low-rise urban grid in the middle distance.

The flight from Olaya Herrera (EOH) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

After clearing the Colombian Andes the route crosses the Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela, passing near the Lesser Antilles island chain including Aruba and Curaçao visible as small flat islands in the blue Caribbean. The flight then crosses Hispaniola and Cuba, where the Sierra Maestra mountains of eastern Cuba and the central highlands of Hispaniola are visible as distinct mountain terrain rising from the sea. North of Cuba the route crosses the Straits of Florida and the Bahamas archipelago, a spectacular shallow-water reef system with vivid turquoise and deep blue color contrasts clearly visible from altitude. The final leg crosses the US Eastern Seaboard approaching New York.