Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Helsinki to Chicago. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. Over Helsinki you get the city and archipelago, and over Chicago you get the full Lake Michigan approach with the skyline. The mid-flight routing over Scandinavia, Greenland, and Canada is largely symmetrical, so the departure and arrival views are the deciding factor.

During takeoff from Helsinki Vantaa (HEL), sit on the Left side for the best views. Helsinki Vantaa's most common departure runway is 22L/22R, heading southwest. A left-side seat gives you views over central Helsinki, the South Harbour, and the Helsinki archipelago as the aircraft banks right toward the Atlantic routing. You'll see the city grid, Suomenlinna sea fortress island, and the open Gulf of Finland spreading out. Notable sights include: Helsinki city centre and South Harbour, Suomenlinna sea fortress archipelago, Gulf of Finland, Espoo coastline.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare's most common arrival runways from the east are 10L/10R or 28L/28R depending on wind. On a transatlantic arrival from the northeast, aircraft typically approach from over Lake Michigan. A left-side seat gives you the best view of the Chicago lakefront, Grant Park, the Loop skyline, and the full sweep of Lake Michigan before turning inland to O'Hare. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago Loop skyline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, Wrigleyville and North Side neighborhoods.

The flight from Helsinki Vantaa (HEL) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The route tracks northwest over southern Sweden and Norway, then across the Norwegian Sea. It passes near the southern tip of Greenland where the ice sheet and fjords are visible on clear days. The flight then crosses the Davis Strait and Labrador, with Hudson Bay visible to the south in good visibility. Over Canada the terrain transitions from boreal forest to the Great Lakes region before descending into Chicago.