Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Honolulu to London. The right side wins overall because the Honolulu departure offers genuinely spectacular and unique views of Diamond Head, Waikiki, and the Ko'olau Range that are hard to beat. The London approach on the left is excellent but the right side still gets decent suburban London views. For the rare chance to see Honolulu's iconic geography clearly during climb-out, right side takes it.

During takeoff from Honolulu International (HNL), sit on the Right side for the best views. HNL typically departs westbound on runway 08R/26L or eastbound on 08L/26R. For the northbound routing toward the mainland, aircraft often depart east then turn north, putting Diamond Head crater and the Waikiki coastline on the right side. The Ko'olau Range and Kaneohe Bay are also visible to the right as the aircraft climbs and banks northeast. Notable sights include: Diamond Head crater, Waikiki Beach strip, Ko'olau Mountain Range, Kaneohe Bay.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow predominantly uses westerly runways (27L/27R) for landing, meaning aircraft approach from the east over London. On the left side you get a clear view of central London including the Thames, the City of London, and Canary Wharf as the aircraft descends through 3,000-5,000 feet on the ILS approach. The right side faces north toward the suburbs with far less to see. Notable sights include: River Thames, Canary Wharf towers, City of London skyline, Windsor Castle.

The flight from Honolulu International (HNL) to Heathrow (LHR) takes Approximately 17-18 hours nonstop (roughly 7,200 miles great circle routing via the North Pacific and polar region).

The great circle route from HNL to LHR tracks northeast across the North Pacific, passing south of the Aleutian Islands chain, then over southern Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska. The route crosses Canada over British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies, and the prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan, then arcs over Hudson Bay or Greenland depending on winds, before crossing Iceland and descending over Scotland and England. Most of the flight is over open ocean and Arctic wilderness with little visible below cloud cover, though the Canadian Rockies and Greenland ice sheet can be spectacular on clear days.