Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Kona to San Francisco. The right seat delivers the dramatic Big Island volcanic scenery on departure, which is the most visually unique part of this route. Over the open Pacific the views are similar on both sides, and at SFO the left side wins arrival, but the Big Island departure spectacle on the right is the harder-to-replicate experience.

During takeoff from Kona International At Keahole (KOA), sit on the Right side for the best views. KOA's primary departure runway 17 sends aircraft southward over the coast, and a right-side seat looks east toward the Kohala Mountains and Mauna Kea's massive summit. You get a clear view of the Big Island's volcanic landscape including lava fields and the Hualalai volcano flanking the airport. Notable sights include: Mauna Kea summit (13,796 ft), Hualalai volcano, Kohala Mountains, Kona coastline lava fields.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO's primary arrival runways 28L/28R bring aircraft in from the east over the Bay, and a left-side seat faces south giving views of the San Francisco Peninsula, downtown SF skyline, and the Bay Bridge. The right side faces north toward Oakland and the East Bay hills, which is less dramatic. Notable sights include: San Francisco downtown skyline, Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge.

The flight from Kona International At Keahole (KOA) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes.

The vast majority of this flight crosses open Pacific Ocean with no land features visible. Roughly 200-300 miles north of Hawaii the Hawaiian Island chain disappears behind. The flight tracks northeast and the California coastline first becomes visible near Point Arena or Bodega Bay on the Sonoma coast about 45-60 minutes before landing, with the Coast Ranges visible as a low ridgeline before the Bay Area comes into view.