Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Athens to London. The right seat wins overall because the Athens departure delivers a genuinely spectacular view of one of the world's most recognizable ancient cityscapes combined with the Saronic Gulf islands. The London arrival on the left is excellent but the Athens departure is the more dramatic and unique visual event of the two.

During takeoff from Athinai (HEW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Athens airport (LGAV) typically departs westward on runway 03L/21R or 03R/21L. On a westbound departure toward London, aircraft climb out over the Saronic Gulf and bank northwest, putting the Acropolis, central Athens, and Mount Hymettus on the right side. The right seat gets the city panorama and the island-dotted gulf. Notable sights include: Acropolis and central Athens, Mount Hymettus ridge, Saronic Gulf with Aegina island, Piraeus port.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow predominantly uses easterly approaches on runways 09L/09R in typical westerly wind conditions. Aircraft approach from the west over Windsor and descend over the Thames Valley, putting central London, the Thames river bends, and the city skyline on the left side of the aircraft. The left seat gets the iconic view of London as you descend. Notable sights include: Thames river bends through central London, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park, Wembley Stadium arch, Canary Wharf and City of London skyline.

The flight from Athinai (HEW) to Heathrow (LHR) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes.

The route tracks northwest from Athens across the Ionian Sea, passing over or near Corfu, then across the Adriatic Sea toward Italy. The aircraft crosses the Alps in the region of Switzerland or southern Germany depending on routing, where the snow-capped peaks are visible from both sides. It then crosses France, with the English Channel crossing near Calais before descending into the Thames Valley.