Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Frankfurt. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the transatlantic crossing, the left side also faces south toward the North Atlantic shipping lanes and, on clear days over Ireland and southern England, offers views of the Irish coastline and the English Channel coast before entering German airspace. Right side faces north toward Greenland and Iceland on the great circle route, which can be spectacular in clear conditions but is less consistently rewarding than the left side's urban and coastal highlights.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary departure runways 22L/22R send aircraft on a southwest heading over Jamaica Bay before turning northeast. Left side passengers get a sweeping view back over Lower Manhattan, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and Upper New York Bay as the aircraft banks north. Right side faces the Atlantic Ocean and Rockaway Peninsula with little of interest. Notable sights include: Lower Manhattan skyline, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Upper New York Bay, Jamaica Bay wildlife refuge grid of channels.

When landing at Frankfurt Main (FRA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Frankfurt typically uses runways 25L/25C/25R for westerly landings, with aircraft approaching from the east over central Germany. Left side passengers look south and get views over the Rhine-Main plain, the Taunus hills, and the Frankfurt city center with its distinctive compact skyline. Right side faces north toward flat agricultural land with little visual interest. Notable sights include: Frankfurt Bankenviertel skyline, Main River, Taunus hills, Rhine-Main plain patchwork farmland.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Frankfurt Main (FRA) takes Approximately 7.5 to 8.5 hours.

The great circle route crosses the North Atlantic roughly between 50-55°N latitude, passing south of Newfoundland, over the mid-Atlantic, then crossing the southern tip of Ireland near Cork, southern England over the Thames Estuary or English Channel coast, then Belgium or the Netherlands before descending into Germany. Notable features include the Irish coastline, the English Channel, and the Rhine delta in the Netherlands.