Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Istanbul. The right side wins at takeoff for the London views, but the left side dominates the majority of the flight. Cruising southeast across Europe, the left side faces south and picks up the Alps in Austria and northern Italy, the Adriatic coast, and the Greek mainland. The Istanbul arrival on the left is also the more dramatic of the two endpoints. Right side is better only for the first 15-20 minutes out of Heathrow.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures heading east on runway 27L/27R (westerly wind operations) or 09R/09L mean the aircraft typically turns southeast toward London. From the right side you get a clear view over central London — the Thames snaking through the city, the City of London skyline, and Canary Wharf's cluster of towers are all identifiable. Left side faces north toward the suburbs with far less to see. Notable sights include: River Thames bends through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, The Shard near London Bridge, Windsor Castle and Great Park visible briefly to the southwest during initial climb.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Left side for the best views. Istanbul Ataturk's main runway orientation is 06/24. Arrivals from the west typically land on runway 06, approaching from over the Sea of Marmara heading northeast. The left side gives you the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus strait, and the Istanbul skyline including the old city peninsula with its distinctive mosques. The right side faces inland toward the Thrace suburbs. Notable sights include: Sea of Marmara on approach, Bosphorus strait connecting Marmara to the Black Sea, Old Istanbul peninsula with Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque silhouettes, Princes Islands visible as small wooded islands in the Marmara.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours.

The route crosses the English Channel near Calais, then tracks southeast over Belgium and Germany. Over Austria and southern Germany the Alps are visible — the main Alpine chain including the Bavarian Alps and Austrian Alps appears as a broad white ridge system. The flight then crosses Slovenia or northern Croatia, the Adriatic Sea briefly near the Dalmatian coast, then over Greece — the Pindus mountain range runs down the Greek mainland spine. The Aegean Sea is crossed in the final 30-40 minutes before the approach over the Sea of Marmara into Istanbul.