Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Istanbul. Right seat wins overall. While left gives decent views on departure over the South Downs and Channel, the right seat delivers the far more dramatic payoff on arrival into Istanbul, with the Bosphorus, the Old City peninsula, and the Golden Horn all visible simultaneously on descent. Mid-flight, right also gives better views of the Alps crossing and the Aegean coastline of Greece.

During takeoff from Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Left side for the best views. Gatwick's runway 26L/08R runs roughly east-west. Departing westbound on 26L, the aircraft turns southeast toward the continent. A left seat gives you views south over the Sussex Weald and the South Downs, with the English Channel coming into view as you climb out over East Sussex. Departing eastbound on 08R, a left seat looks north over the Surrey Hills and Greater London sprawl in the distance. Notable sights include: South Downs ridge, English Channel coastline near Eastbourne, Brighton seafront to the south, Surrey Hills to the north.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ataturk Airport (now largely replaced by Istanbul Airport but historically used) sits on the European side of Istanbul. Approaches from the west on runway 06 bring the aircraft over the Sea of Marmara. A right seat faces north, giving clear views of the Bosphorus strait, the historic peninsula with the Old City, and the Golden Horn as the aircraft descends. Left seat faces south over the open Marmara. Notable sights include: Bosphorus strait, Istanbul Old City peninsula with Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque silhouettes, Golden Horn inlet, Sea of Marmara.

The flight from Gatwick (LGW) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 50 minutes.

The route crosses the French Alps or northern Italy depending on routing, with the Adriatic Sea visible before crossing the Balkans over Serbia and Bulgaria. The Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria and northern Greece are crossed before the Aegean Sea comes into view on the right side, followed by the Thracian plain of European Turkey on descent into Istanbul.