Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Rome to Los Angeles. Right side wins at both ends of the flight. At departure you get Rome and the Alban Hills; at arrival you get the Santa Monica Bay and Palos Verdes coastline. Over the Atlantic and North America the views are broadly similar on both sides, but the right side also offers slightly better views of the Greenland ice sheet and Canadian Arctic coastline as the polar routing curves north.

During takeoff from Fiumicino (FCO), sit on the Right side for the best views. FCO typically departs on runway 16R/16L heading south, then aircraft turn right (northwest) toward the Atlantic routing. A right-side seat gives you a clear view back over Rome's historic center, the Tiber River snaking through the city, and the Alban Hills to the southeast. Left side faces the Tyrrhenian Sea and coastal flats which are less visually interesting at this stage. Notable sights include: Rome city center and Colosseum area, Tiber River bends through the urban core, Alban Hills (Castelli Romani) volcanic ridge to the southeast, Vatican and St. Peter's dome visible in the urban fabric.

When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX approaches from the east on runway 24L/24R heading west, so the aircraft tracks over the Los Angeles Basin before touching down. Right-side seats face south, giving clear views of the South Bay, Long Beach harbor, and the Santa Monica Bay coastline. Left side looks north toward the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Fernando Valley, which is also good, but the right side captures the iconic coastal geography more directly on final approach. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Bay and Pacific coastline, Long Beach and Los Angeles/Long Beach harbor complex, Palos Verdes Peninsula jutting into the Pacific, Downtown Los Angeles skyline in the middle distance to the north.

The flight from Fiumicino (FCO) to Los Angeles International (LAX) takes Approximately 12 to 13 hours.

The great circle routing from FCO to LAX arcs well north, crossing the Alps briefly after departure, then the French or Spanish coast, out over the North Atlantic, passing south of Iceland and over southern Greenland where the ice sheet is visible, then across the Canadian Arctic and Hudson Bay region, over the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and the US Pacific Northwest, before descending into Southern California. The Greenland ice sheet and the Canadian Rockies are the two most dramatic midpoint features.