Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seoul to Washington. While the right side wins at departure for Seoul and Han River views, the left side delivers more sustained scenery across the full flight: as the polar route arcs over the Aleutian Islands chain and the Gulf of Alaska, left-side passengers get better angles on the Alaskan coastline and the Rockies during descent. The left side also wins decisively at Dulles arrival with the Blue Ridge and DC approach.

During takeoff from Incheon International (ICN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Incheon's primary departure runways (15L/15R heading southeast, or 33L/33R heading northwest) mean a right-side seat gives you views back over Seoul's Han River and the city skyline as the aircraft banks northeast toward the polar route. The right side also captures the Yellow Sea coastline and the islands of the Incheon archipelago during initial climb. Notable sights include: Han River and Seoul city grid, Incheon archipelago islands in the Yellow Sea, Bukhansan mountain massif north of Seoul, Yellow Sea coastline.

When landing at Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Dulles typically uses runways 01L/01R (heading north) or 19L/19R (heading south) for arrivals. On a polar routing from the northwest, aircraft typically descend over the Appalachian ridges and approach from the west or northwest, giving left-side passengers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah Valley, and then the Potomac River and Washington DC monuments as the aircraft turns onto final. Notable sights include: Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, Potomac River, Washington DC Mall and Capitol dome, Dulles Access Road corridor.

The flight from Incheon International (ICN) to Washington Dulles International (IAD) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours.

The great circle polar route from ICN to IAD tracks northeast over the Sea of Japan, crosses the Kamchatka Peninsula with its volcanic peaks, arcs over the Aleutian Islands chain and the Gulf of Alaska, crosses the Canadian Rockies over British Columbia and Alberta, then descends over the Great Plains and Appalachian Mountains into the Washington DC area. Notable features include the Kamchatka volcanoes visible on clear days, the Aleutian island chain, the St. Elias and Coast Mountain ranges of Alaska and British Columbia, and the long parallel ridges of the Appalachians on descent.