Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Amsterdam. The right side delivers the more geographically interesting views overall. During the cruise over the southern North Sea, the right side faces south toward the Belgian and Dutch coasts. On descent, the right seat gets the full drama of the Dutch polder landscape and the Amsterdam metropolitan area, which is more visually distinctive than what the left side offers at either end of this short flight.

During takeoff from Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Left side for the best views. Gatwick's primary departure runway 26L sends aircraft heading west before turning northeast toward Amsterdam. A left-side seat captures the North Downs ridge, the Weald, and the sprawl of Crawley below before the aircraft banks north. Right side gets industrial estates and less interesting terrain. Notable sights include: The North Downs chalk ridge, Crawley town grid directly below, the Weald lowlands stretching south, and the first glimpse of the Thames Estuary as the aircraft climbs northeast.

When landing at Schiphol (AMS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Schiphol's most common landing approach on runway 18R or 06 brings aircraft in from the northwest or west over the North Sea coast. A right-side seat on approach from the northwest gives a clear view of the Dutch coastline, the Haarlem polder landscape, and the distinctive flat geometry of the reclaimed polder fields. Left side faces inland toward less distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: The North Sea coastline and beach barrier, the Haarlemmermeerpolder flat reclaimed fields, the IJ lake and Amsterdam city outline to the northeast, and the greenhouse clusters of the Westland/Aalsmeer horticultural district.

The flight from Gatwick (LGW) to Schiphol (AMS) takes Approximately 55 to 70 minutes.

The flight crosses the Thames Estuary near its mouth, then tracks northeast over the southern North Sea. At cruise altitude of around 28,000 feet, the flat coastlines of Essex and Kent are briefly visible before open water. The Belgian coast near Ostend and the Dutch coast near The Hague and Hook of Holland appear on the right side during descent. The entire overwater section is the southern North Sea, which is shallow and often shows sandbank discoloration in clear conditions.