Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The right side wins overall. At takeoff it captures the dramatic Los Angeles coastline and Santa Monica Mountains. During the cruise northward, the right side tracks the California coast — Point Conception, the Santa Lucia Range, and the Big Sur coastline are all visible to the right on clear days. The left side has the Central Valley interior, which is flat and agriculturally monotonous at altitude. The right side coastal scenery is consistently more visually interesting for the majority of the flight.

During takeoff from Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX typically departs westward over the ocean on runways 24L/24R, then turns north. The right side gets the Santa Monica Bay coastline, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the urban sprawl of the San Fernando Valley as the aircraft banks left heading north. The left side faces the open Pacific with little to see. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Bay coastline, Santa Monica Mountains ridge, San Fernando Valley grid, Malibu coastline.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically lands on runways 28L/28R approaching from the east over the Bay, or on 19L/19R approaching from the north. On the common easterly approach over the Bay, the left side faces south toward the San Mateo Bridge and the southern Bay, while the right side looks north toward downtown San Francisco and the Bay Bridge. However, on the 28 approach, the left side gets the clearest view of the open South Bay and the peninsula. On the 19 approach from the north, the left side sees the city of San Francisco and the Golden Gate. Overall the left side captures the most iconic Bay Area geography on final approach. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge, South Bay wetlands, San Francisco Peninsula cities.

The flight from Los Angeles International (LAX) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Point Conception where the coast bends northward, the Santa Lucia Range running along the Big Sur coast, Morro Bay and its distinctive volcanic plug visible on the right, the broad flat expanse of the Salinas Valley inland, and Monterey Bay's wide arc becoming visible as the aircraft descends toward the Bay Area