Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Lagos. The right side wins overall. The departure view south over London and the Thames is one of the best urban aerial views in Europe. During the flight the right side also faces west toward the Atlantic as the route tracks south over the Bay of Biscay and West Africa, though at cruise altitude there is little to distinguish sides over open ocean and the Sahara. The London departure view is the highlight of the flight.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs eastbound on runways 09L/09R, so a right-side seat looks south over central London as the aircraft climbs and turns. You get a clear view of the Thames snaking through the city, with recognisable landmarks laid out below before the aircraft heads southeast. Notable sights include: River Thames and its distinctive bends through central London, the City of London skyline including the Shard and Canary Wharf towers, Windsor Castle and Great Park to the west during initial climb, the M25 orbital motorway ring.

When landing at Lagos Murtala Muhammed (LOS), sit on the Left side for the best views. Lagos Murtala Muhammed typically uses runway 18R/36L oriented north-south. Arriving from the north on a southerly heading, the left side looks east over Lagos Lagoon and the densely packed urban grid of Lagos Island and Victoria Island. The lagoon's geometry and the Atlantic coastline are clearly visible on approach. Notable sights include: Lagos Lagoon stretching east, Lagos Island and Victoria Island urban grid surrounded by water, the Atlantic Ocean coastline and barrier beach of Bar Beach, Five Cowrie Creek separating Victoria Island from the mainland.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Lagos Murtala Muhammed (LOS) takes Approximately 6 hours 30 minutes to 7 hours.

The route tracks southeast from London over France and the Bay of Biscay, then south over the Iberian Peninsula or Morocco depending on routing, across the Sahara Desert with its vast sand seas and ergs visible from altitude, over Mali and Burkina Faso with the Niger River occasionally visible, then into the Gulf of Guinea coastal zone approaching Lagos. The Sahara crossing is the most visually distinctive segment — vast orange and tan sand dunes of the Erg Chech and Tanezrouft basin — though at 35,000 feet the scale makes individual features subtle.