Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Chania. While the right side wins at Heathrow departure, the left side delivers more consistently across the full flight: the Alps crossing over Austria and northern Italy, the Adriatic coastline, and the spectacular Lefka Ori mountain arrival into Crete make it the stronger overall choice.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures on runway 27L/27R head west before turning southeast, giving right-side passengers views over central London as the aircraft banks. You'll see the Thames snaking through the city, the City of London skyline, and the sprawl of southeast London before the aircraft climbs out over Kent. Notable sights include: River Thames through central London, City of London/Canary Wharf towers, Hyde Park and Kensington, the M25 orbital motorway.

When landing at Souda (CHQ), sit on the Left side for the best views. Chania airport runway 29 means aircraft approach from the east over the sea, landing heading west. Left-side passengers get a clear view of the White Mountains (Lefka Ori) rising to over 2,400 metres across the southern spine of Crete, plus the Souda Bay naval anchorage directly below on approach. Notable sights include: Lefka Ori (White Mountains) of Crete, Souda Bay, Chania old town and harbour, northern Cretan coastline.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Souda (CHQ) takes Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours 45 minutes.

The route tracks southeast over France, crossing the Alps near the Swiss-Austrian border where the Bernese Oberland and Tyrolean peaks are visible. It then passes over northern Italy and the Adriatic Sea, crossing the Greek mainland over Epirus and Thessaly before descending over the Aegean toward Crete. The Corinth Canal and Peloponnese coastline may be visible on the left side during descent.