Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Shannon. The left side wins overall. The Manhattan and New York Harbor departure views are among the most dramatic urban aerial scenes in the world, and as the flight tracks northeast over the North Atlantic, the left side also picks up the southern coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia during the early oceanic portion. The Shannon arrival on the right is excellent but shorter in duration.

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 22L/22R or northeastward. A left-side seat gives you Manhattan's skyline receding to the northwest, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the full sweep of New York Harbor as the aircraft climbs and turns northeast toward the Atlantic. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline to the northwest, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge spanning the harbor entrance, Jamaica Bay wildlife refuge directly below on climb-out, Long Island Sound as the aircraft tracks northeast.

When landing at Shannon (SNN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Shannon Airport sits on the south bank of the Shannon Estuary, and aircraft typically approach from the west or southwest on runway 24. A right-side seat gives you the broad Shannon Estuary opening to the Atlantic, the Cliffs of Moher coastline to the south, and the patchwork green fields of County Clare on final approach. Notable sights include: Shannon Estuary widening toward the Atlantic, Cliffs of Moher along the Clare coastline to the south, Loop Head Peninsula at the estuary mouth, patchwork green farmland of County Clare on final approach.

The flight from John F Kennedy International (JFK) to Shannon (SNN) takes Approximately 6.5 to 7.5 hours westbound, 7 to 8 hours eastbound depending on jet stream.

The flight tracks northeast over Long Island, then crosses the Nova Scotia coastline and Cape Breton Island before heading out over the open North Atlantic. The midpoint is deep ocean with no land visible. As the flight approaches Europe, the southwest tip of Ireland including the Dingle Peninsula and Kerry coastline may be visible before tracking up the Shannon Estuary. The jet stream corridor typically keeps the route between 50N and 55N latitude across the Atlantic.