Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to London. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. At JFK you get the full Manhattan skyline and harbor geography. At Luton you get the Chiltern Hills and Hertfordshire countryside on approach. Over the Atlantic the views are largely featureless ocean regardless of side, so the departure and arrival experiences are the deciding factor.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK primarily departs eastward over Jamaica Bay on runways 31L/31R or westward on 22L/22R. On the dominant 22L/22R departure heading (southwest), the left side gives you Manhattan's skyline receding to the north, plus the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and Upper New York Bay. On 31L/31R departures heading northwest, the left side still captures the Manhattan skyline as you bank north over Long Island. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Jamaica Bay, Long Island Sound.

When landing at Luton (LTN), sit on the Left side for the best views. LTN's primary runway 07/25 means arrivals typically come from the west or southwest. On a runway 07 arrival heading northeast, the left side faces north and northwest, giving views over the Chiltern Hills, the M1 corridor, and the sprawl of north London in the distance. The left side also captures the green belt countryside of Hertfordshire on final approach. Notable sights include: Chiltern Hills, Hertfordshire countryside, M1 motorway corridor, north London urban fringe.

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

The flight tracks northeast from JFK, crossing Long Island, then out over the North Atlantic. The southern tip of Greenland or Iceland may be visible far to the north depending on the exact routing. The Irish coast — County Clare or Connemara — is typically the first landfall, followed by crossing central Ireland, then Wales or the English Midlands before descending into Luton.