Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Vancouver. The left side wins overall. While the right side is better at Gatwick departure, the left side delivers the more dramatic scenery across the bulk of the flight — Greenland's ice sheet and fjords on the polar routing, the Canadian Rockies as you descend toward BC, and the spectacular Mount Baker and Fraser delta on final into YVR. The Rockies view alone from the left side during descent is one of the great window seat moments on any transatlantic route.

During takeoff from Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Gatwick's primary departure runway 26L sends aircraft westbound, and the right (north) side gives you a clear view over central London as you climb out — the Thames, Canary Wharf towers, and the City skyline are all visible before you turn northwest. The left side faces south toward the relatively featureless Surrey/Sussex countryside. Notable sights include: The Thames snaking through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, the City of London skyline, Windsor Castle and the Thames at Windsor.

When landing at Vancouver International (YVR), sit on the Left side for the best views. YVR's primary arrival runway 08L/26R means most transatlantic arrivals approach from the east or southeast. On a typical ILS approach to runway 26, aircraft track westbound over the Fraser Valley, and the left (south) side gives you the best view of Mount Baker's snow-capped cone in Washington State and the Fraser River delta. Runway 08 arrivals from the west give the left side views of the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island. Notable sights include: Mount Baker (volcanic cone, Washington State), Fraser River delta and its braided channels, the Strait of Georgia, Richmond's flat grid below.

The flight from Gatwick (LGW) to Vancouver International (YVR) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The flight typically follows a polar great-circle routing: departing northwest over Ireland and the North Atlantic, tracking over southern Greenland where the Greenland ice sheet and coastal fjords are visible, then across Baffin Island and Hudson Bay. Over Canada the route crosses northern Quebec and Ontario before descending over the Canadian Rockies and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia. The Rockies — including the Columbia Icefield area — are genuinely visible on clear days during descent, as are the broad river valleys of interior BC.