Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Istanbul to Bucharest. Left side wins both ends of the flight. The Istanbul departure offers the most dramatic urban and water scenery, and the Bucharest approach gives the better city view. During the cruise over Bulgaria the left side also has a slightly better angle toward the Balkan mountain ridges visible in the distance.

During takeoff from Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Istanbul Ataturk typically departs eastward on runway 06, then aircraft turn north toward Bucharest. A left seat gives you the city of Istanbul, the Bosphorus strait, and the Golden Horn as you climb and bank. The right side faces the Sea of Marmara with less urban detail. Notable sights include: Bosphorus strait, Golden Horn inlet, historic peninsula of Sultanahmet, Sea of Marmara.

When landing at Otopeni (OTP), sit on the Left side for the best views. Bucharest Otopeni typically lands on runway 08R or 26L depending on wind. Approaching from the south on a northwesterly heading, the left side looks toward central Bucharest and the Dambovita river valley. The right side faces open agricultural plains with little of interest. Notable sights include: Bucharest city center, Dambovita River, Snagov Lake to the north, Vlasiei plain.

The flight from Ataturk (IST) to Otopeni (OTP) takes Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

The flight crosses the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria near Varna, then tracks northwest over the Bulgarian interior crossing the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina range), a clearly visible east-west ridge system at cruise altitude. The Danube plain of southern Romania is visible on descent, flat and heavily agricultural with the Danube itself potentially visible near the Bulgarian-Romanian border.