Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Madras. The landing approach on the right side delivers a genuinely spectacular view of Marina Beach and the Bay of Bengal that is hard to match. The takeoff left-side advantage is real but brief. For the full flight, right side also captures the Arabian Sea crossing and the Western Ghats ridge on descent into the Indian subcontinent, making it the stronger overall choice.

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 southwest over Jamaica Bay before turning northeast. A left seat gives you Manhattan's skyline across the water to the north, plus the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and Staten Island. Right seat faces south toward the Atlantic with little of interest. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline to the north, Jamaica Bay wetlands directly below, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the west, Long Island coastline.

When landing at Chennai International (MAA), sit on the Right side for the best views. Chennai airport uses runway 07 for arrivals from the west, meaning the aircraft approaches from the west heading east. A right seat faces south, giving views of the Bay of Bengal coastline, Marina Beach — one of the world's longest urban beaches — and the city's coastal layout. Left seat faces inland toward the flat Deccan plain with little visual interest. Notable sights include: Bay of Bengal coastline, Marina Beach urban seafront, Chennai city grid approaching the coast, Buckingham Canal running parallel to shore.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Chennai International (MAA) takes Approximately 16 to 17 hours nonstop, though most routings connect via the Middle East making total journey time 18 to 22 hours.

The route typically tracks northeast over the North Atlantic, crosses Western Europe over the UK or France, passes over the Alps or Mediterranean depending on routing, crosses Turkey and the Levant, then traverses the Arabian Peninsula or Persian Gulf region, crosses the Arabian Sea, and descends over the flat Deccan Plateau toward the Tamil Nadu coast. The Western Ghats mountain range is visible as a distinct ridge running north-south on the western edge of the peninsula during the Indian subcontinent crossing.