Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Madrid. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. Over the Atlantic the views are similar on both sides, but the left seat delivers Manhattan on departure and Madrid city center plus the Sierra de Guadarrama on arrival, making it the clear choice for the full journey.

During takeoff from John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK typically departs eastward over Jamaica Bay on runways 31L/31R or 22L/22R. A left-side seat during a northward climb-out gives you Manhattan's skyline to the northwest, clearly visible across the harbor. The dense grid of Brooklyn and Queens spreads below before the aircraft banks northeast toward the Atlantic. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline to the northwest, Jamaica Bay wetlands directly below, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the southwest, Long Island shoreline stretching east.

When landing at Barajas (MAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Madrid Barajas typically lands from the east on runways 32L/32R or from the south on 18L/18R. On the common easterly approach, the left side faces south toward the city center of Madrid, with the Sierra de Guadarrama visible to the northwest. The right side faces mostly toward open Castilian meseta with little of interest. Notable sights include: Sierra de Guadarrama mountain range to the northwest, Madrid city center and Retiro Park to the south, the flat Castilian meseta plateau stretching in all directions, Manzanares River corridor through the city.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Barajas (MAD) takes Approximately 7 hours 30 minutes to 8 hours.

The flight tracks northeast from JFK, crossing the tip of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland before heading out over the North Atlantic. The great circle route passes south of Greenland and Iceland, then crosses into European airspace over Ireland and northern Spain. Visible features at altitude include the Irish coastline, the Bay of Biscay coastline of northern Spain, and the Cantabrian Mountains before descending toward the Castilian plateau.