Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Johannesburg. While left offers the Thames estuary departure, right seats capture the more dramatic and geologically distinctive landing approach over the Witwatersrand escarpment and mining landscape—a unique feature not visible on many long-haul routes. The landing view outweighs the takeoff advantage.

During takeoff from City (LCY), sit on the Left side for the best views. LCY typically departs eastbound (Runway 09). Left seats face north across the Thames estuary and toward Essex, offering views of the river's meandering path, the Docklands, and the North Sea approach. Right seats face south toward suburban London with less distinctive geography. Notable sights include: River Thames (winding through East London), Canary Wharf and Docklands skyline, Thames Estuary opening to North Sea, Essex marshlands to the northeast.

When landing at Grand Central (GCJ), sit on the Right side for the best views. GCJ (OR Tambo) typically lands from the north on Runway 03R/03L. Right seats face east during approach, capturing the Witwatersrand ridge escarpment and the distinctive geology of the Johannesburg plateau. Left seats face west toward the city center with less dramatic topography. Notable sights include: Witwatersrand ridge (elevated escarpment), Johannesburg city skyline, Soweto township sprawl to the southwest, mining dumps and tailings (distinctive white/yellow mounds characteristic of the Witwatersrand).

The flight from City (LCY) to Grand Central (GCJ) takes Approximately 11 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Sahara (featureless sand with occasional wadi patterns), the Niger River valley near Bamako, the Gulf of Guinea coastline (West African coast), then proceeds south over central Africa. Notable midpoint features include the Niger River's distinctive meanders in Mali, the transition from Sahel savanna to tropical forest around the Guinea coast, and the Congo Basin's vast forested expanse. The Atlantic crossing offers open ocean with occasional cloud formations. As the aircraft approaches southern Africa, the transition from tropical vegetation to savanna becomes visible, with the Kalahari's semi-arid landscape appearing before the final approach to the Highveld plateau.