Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Paris. The left side delivers the iconic Manhattan skyline at departure, which is the single most dramatic urban aerial view on this route. The landing views on the right are excellent but Paris from approach is more spread out and subtle. The JFK departure on the left is the highlight of the flight.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK departures on runway 31L/31R head northwest, putting Manhattan directly on the left side. You get a clear view of the entire skyline, the Hudson River, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge as the aircraft climbs out over Jamaica Bay and turns north. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Hudson River, Jamaica Bay.

When landing at Charles De Gaulle (CDG), sit on the Right side for the best views. CDG arrivals typically come in from the west on runway 27L/27R or from the north on 09/27 configurations, meaning the right side gets views over central Paris including the Seine, Eiffel Tower, and the dense Haussmann grid of the city before the aircraft tracks northeast to the airport. Notable sights include: Eiffel Tower, Seine River, La Défense business district, Stade de France.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Charles De Gaulle (CDG) takes Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes westbound, 7 hours eastbound (JFK to CDG is roughly 7 hours).

The flight tracks northeast over Long Island Sound, then crosses the Canadian Maritime provinces (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland coastline visible on clear days), then the North Atlantic. The southern tip of Greenland may be visible on the left side at cruise altitude. Approaching Europe, the aircraft crosses Ireland and southern England before entering French airspace over Normandy.