Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Istanbul to Chicago. The left side delivers the best views at both ends of the flight — the Bosphorus and Istanbul on departure, and the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan on arrival. Over the Atlantic and central Canada the views are symmetric, so the left side wins on the strength of its bookend city views.

During takeoff from Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing IST typically uses runways oriented east-west. A westbound departure climbing out to the northwest gives the left (south-facing) side a clear view back over the Bosphorus strait, the Golden Horn, and the dense urban sprawl of European Istanbul. The right side faces inland toward suburban Thrace with little of interest. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait, Golden Horn inlet, Sea of Marmara, historic Sultanahmet peninsula with its dense Ottoman-era roofscape.

When landing at Chicago Midway International (MDW), sit on the Left side for the best views. MDW sits on Chicago's southwest side. Arrivals typically come from the east or southeast, meaning a left-side seat faces north toward the downtown Chicago skyline as the aircraft descends over the southern suburbs. The right side looks south over flat residential sprawl with no notable features. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago River corridor, South Side urban grid.

The flight from Ataturk (IST) to Chicago Midway International (MDW) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours nonstop.

The route tracks northwest over the Black Sea, then across Romania and central Europe toward the UK, crosses the North Atlantic near Scotland and Iceland, passes over southern Greenland and Labrador, then descends across Ontario and the Great Lakes into Chicago. Notable features include the Black Sea coastline, the Alps visible to the south over central Europe, the Greenland ice sheet, Hudson Bay, and Lake Michigan on descent.