Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Sao Paulo to Los Angeles. The right side wins overall. While left is better at takeoff for São Paulo city views, the right side during the long overwater Pacific crossing offers the California coastline approach and the dramatic Santa Monica Mountains on descent into LAX, which is the more memorable visual payoff of the journey.

During takeoff from Guarulhos (GRU), sit on the Left side for the best views. GRU typically departs on runway 09R/27L or 09L/27R. Westbound departures heading toward LAX swing northwest, putting the left side over central São Paulo city. You get a clear view of the dense urban grid of São Paulo, the Tietê River snaking through the metro area, and the Serra da Cantareira hills to the north. Notable sights include: São Paulo city center and Paulista Avenue corridor, Rio Tietê and its reservoir system, Serra da Cantareira forested ridge, Guarulhos urban sprawl.

When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX approaches from the east on runways 24L/24R, meaning the aircraft tracks over the Los Angeles Basin from inland before touching down westward toward the Pacific. The right side faces north, giving you views over the Santa Monica Mountains, the Hollywood Hills, and the LA Basin grid. The left side faces south over less distinctive suburban sprawl toward Long Beach. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Mountains and Griffith Park ridge, Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood Sign area, Los Angeles Basin urban grid, Santa Monica Bay coastline.

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

The route tracks northwest over the Amazon Basin in western Brazil, crossing into Colombia and then over Central America including the Yucatán Peninsula. It then crosses the Gulf of Mexico and enters Mexican airspace over the Sierra Madre Occidental before crossing into the US over Baja California or the Sonoran Desert. Much of the mid-flight is over the Pacific Ocean west of Central America, with the Baja California peninsula visible as a narrow land strip if routing goes that way. The Amazon Basin below appears as an unbroken dark green canopy with river meanders visible in clear conditions.