Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Raleigh-durham. The left side wins overall due to the spectacular JFK departure views over Jamaica Bay and the Manhattan skyline bank. The cruise portion is relatively featureless Piedmont and Mid-Atlantic coastal plain on both sides, and the RDU arrival right-side advantage is modest. The takeoff experience on the left is the highlight of this short flight.

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 southward, then turns southwest toward RDU. Left side gives you Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways barrier beach, and a sweeping view back over Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan as the aircraft banks southwest. The right side faces the open Atlantic with little to see. Notable sights include: Jamaica Bay and its wildlife refuge islands, the Rockaway Peninsula barrier beach, Lower Manhattan skyline visible to the northwest during the bank, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island.

When landing at Raleigh Durham International (RDU), sit on the Right side for the best views. RDU typically receives arrivals from the northeast on runway 23L/23R or runway 5L/5R. Approaching from the northeast, the right side looks northwest and west over the Research Triangle area, giving clear views of downtown Raleigh's skyline and Jordan Lake. The left side faces southeast toward flat pine forest with little of interest. Notable sights include: Downtown Raleigh skyline to the west, Falls Lake reservoir to the north, Jordan Lake visible to the southwest, the dense mixed pine and hardwood forest of the Piedmont plateau.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Raleigh Durham International (RDU) takes Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.

The flight tracks southwest over the New Jersey Pine Barrens, crosses Delaware Bay near its mouth, passes over the Delmarva Peninsula or northern Delaware, then crosses the Chesapeake Bay near the Bay Bridge area, continues over the Virginia Piedmont and the rolling terrain of central North Carolina. The Chesapeake Bay crossing is the most visually distinctive midpoint feature, appearing as a broad gray-blue expanse roughly 30 minutes into the flight.