Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from New York to Phoenix. Left side wins both ends of the flight. Over the middle of the route you also get better views of the Colorado River canyon systems and the Painted Desert approaching from the north side of the flight path, which favors the left seat.

During takeoff from La Guardia (LGA), sit on the Left side for the best views. LGA typically departs runway 04 heading northeast, then turns west. The left side gets Manhattan's skyline, the East River, and the Hudson River as the aircraft banks. Right side faces Queens and Long Island with far less drama. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, East River, Hudson River, Central Park.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX typically lands runway 26 heading west, with the approach from the east. The left side faces south toward South Mountain Park and the broad Phoenix metro grid, while the right side looks north toward Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains — both decent, but the left gives a cleaner view of the city center and the distinctive South Mountain massif. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park, Phoenix city grid, Camelback Mountain, Salt River bed.

The flight from La Guardia (LGA) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 4 hours 45 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes.

Appalachian ridges over Pennsylvania, the flat agricultural grid of Ohio and Indiana, the Mississippi River crossing near St. Louis, the Ozark Plateau, Oklahoma and Texas panhandle plains, the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque, the Rio Grande valley, the Painted Desert and Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona, and the Mogollon Rim descent into the Phoenix basin