Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to London. Left side wins both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get the iconic Manhattan skyline view, and at landing you get the London basin and Surrey countryside on approach. The right side offers open Atlantic for most of the cruise, which is featureless by comparison.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK typically departs eastward on runways 22L/22R or 31L/31R depending on wind. On the common eastward departure over Jamaica Bay, the left side gives you a clear view back over Manhattan's skyline as the aircraft banks north. You'll see the full sweep of the Hudson River, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the Brooklyn waterfront laid out clearly. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Jamaica Bay, Long Island Sound.

When landing at Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Left side for the best views. Gatwick's single runway 08/26 means arrivals from the west typically approach from the east heading westbound on runway 26. On this transatlantic arrival, the aircraft approaches from the north or northeast, and the left side gives views over the North Downs, the Surrey Hills, and the sprawl of Greater London to the north. You may catch the Thames snaking through London on clear days. Notable sights include: North Downs, Surrey Hills, Thames River through London, Crawley town grid below.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Gatwick (LGW) takes Approximately 7 hours.

The flight tracks northeast from JFK over Long Island, then out over the North Atlantic following a great circle route. You pass south of Newfoundland and the Grand Banks, then cross the mid-Atlantic with no land visible for several hours. The southern tip of Ireland (County Cork coastline) is often the first European landfall, followed by the Celtic Sea, Cornwall, and the English Channel before descending into Gatwick.