Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Edinburgh. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. At departure you get the full New York Harbor panorama and Manhattan, and on arrival you get the Firth of Forth and Edinburgh's distinctive volcanic landscape. During the transatlantic cruise the views are largely ocean, but the left side also offers slightly better angles over southern Greenland's ice sheet and the Scottish coastline on descent.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary departure runways (31L/31R) head northwest, putting Manhattan's skyline and the full sweep of New York Harbor on the left side. You get a clear view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Lower Manhattan, and the Hudson River as the aircraft climbs out over Jamaica Bay. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Hudson River, Jamaica Bay wetlands.

When landing at Edinburgh (EDI), sit on the Left side for the best views. Edinburgh Airport uses runway 06/24, with most westerly approaches coming in from the east on runway 24, meaning the aircraft tracks westward over the Firth of Forth. The left side gives you the Firth of Forth, the Forth Rail Bridge, and a direct view toward Edinburgh city center and Arthur's Seat. Notable sights include: Firth of Forth, Forth Rail Bridge, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh city centre.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Edinburgh (EDI) takes Approximately 7 to 7.5 hours.

The route tracks northeast over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, then crosses the North Atlantic. On clear days you may see the southern tip of Greenland's ice cap and glaciated fjords from cruising altitude. The flight then crosses Iceland's airspace region before descending over the Scottish Highlands and the Firth of Forth into Edinburgh.