Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago. The right side wins overall because the Fort Lauderdale coastal departure is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat. The Chicago approach on the left is excellent, but the right side also picks up views of the Florida coastline during the initial climb and Lake Michigan glimpses on descent. The coastal departure scenery tips the balance.

During takeoff from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International (FLL), sit on the Right side for the best views. FLL's primary departure runway 10R/28L means northbound flights typically depart heading east then turn north. A right-side seat gives you the Atlantic coastline, Port Everglades, and the Fort Lauderdale beach strip as you climb out and bank northwest. Left side faces inland toward the Everglades. Notable sights include: Port Everglades cruise terminal, Fort Lauderdale Beach barrier island, the Atlantic Ocean stretching east, Biscayne Bay visible to the south.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Flights from the southeast typically approach ORD from the south or southeast, often landing on runways 10L/10R or 28L/28R depending on winds. On a southerly approach, the left side gives you the Chicago lakefront, Grant Park, and the downtown skyline clearly visible before touchdown. Right side faces the flat suburban sprawl of the northwest suburbs. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline and Willis Tower, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, O'Hare airport grid of runways visible on final approach.

The flight from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International (FLL) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours.

After leaving Florida the flight crosses Georgia and Tennessee, then the flat agricultural plains of Kentucky and Indiana. The Ohio River valley is visible near the Kentucky-Indiana border. Central Indiana and Illinois are largely flat farmland grids with few dramatic features. Lake Michigan appears on descent into Chicago.