Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Detroit. The right side wins overall. The London departure view over the Thames and central London is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat. Mid-flight over the North Atlantic and Canada the views are similar on both sides, but the right side also gets a decent look at southern Greenland's ice sheet edge if the routing goes that far north, and the Detroit approach on the left is good but brief. The London departure tips it to the right.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs westbound on runways 27L/27R, so a right-side seat looks north over central London during the initial climb and turn. You get a clear view of the Thames snaking through the city, the Wembley arch, and the urban sprawl of northwest London before the aircraft tracks northwest. Notable sights include: River Thames through central London, Wembley Stadium arch, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park to the southwest, M25 orbital motorway ring.

When landing at Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW), sit on the Left side for the best views. DTW typically lands on runways 21L/21R or 22L/22R heading southwest, or 27L/27R heading west. On a southwest approach, the left side looks southeast over Lake Erie's western end and the Detroit River, giving a clear view of the Detroit skyline and the international border. This is the more geographically dramatic side on final approach. Notable sights include: Detroit city skyline, Detroit River and Windsor Ontario across the border, western tip of Lake Erie, Ambassador Bridge.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) takes Approximately 8 to 8.5 hours.

The routing typically tracks northwest over Ireland, then across the North Atlantic on a great circle arc passing south of Iceland and potentially clipping the southern tip of Greenland. Over Canada the flight crosses Labrador, Quebec, and Ontario — largely boreal forest and lakes including the vast Lake Superior visible to the south before descent into Detroit. The St. Lawrence River estuary may be visible on the right side over Quebec.