Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Easter Island to Santiago. While takeoff offers volcanic drama, the landing view of the Andes approaching Santiago is more visually striking and geographically significant. The mountain range provides continuous, dramatic scenery during descent that outweighs the brief Easter Island departure views.

During takeoff from Mataveri International (IPC), sit on the Right side for the best views. Easter Island's runway 10/28 typically departs toward the northwest. Right-side seats face the Pacific Ocean and the island's interior volcanic terrain during initial climb. You'll see Rano Kau crater and the coastline receding, with open ocean dominating the view northwestward. Notable sights include: Rano Kau crater (southwestern rim visible), Rano Raraku crater (eastern side), Pacific Ocean extending to horizon, Easter Island's sparse vegetation and volcanic slopes.

When landing at Arturo Merino Benitez International (SCL), sit on the Left side for the best views. Approaching Santiago from the northwest on typical runway 34L/34R vectors, left-side seats face the Andes Mountains directly ahead. The cordillera dominates the descent profile, with snow-capped peaks visible from 25,000 feet down to final approach. The Central Valley spreads beneath, with Santiago's urban sprawl becoming increasingly detailed. Notable sights include: Andes Mountains (main cordillera with multiple peaks above 13,000 feet), Central Valley agricultural plains, Santiago metropolitan area sprawl, Mapocho River valley cutting through the city.

The flight from Mataveri International (IPC) to Arturo Merino Benitez International (SCL) takes Approximately 5 hours 45 minutes.

The flight crosses open South Pacific Ocean for the entire journey. No significant landmasses are visible during cruise—only ocean, occasional cloud formations, and the curvature of Earth at altitude. The route passes over the Peru-Chile Trench region (invisible at altitude but geographically notable). As the aircraft approaches the South American continent near 33°S latitude, the Andes begin appearing on the horizon roughly 90 minutes before landing. The Atacama Desert's northern reaches may be visible on clear days as a tan-colored expanse east of the coast, but cloud cover typically obscures this during descent into Santiago.