Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Ponta Delgada. The left side misses the best of the London departure but wins decisively on landing with the spectacular Sete Cidades caldera and São Miguel's volcanic landscape. Over the open Atlantic the views are symmetrical, so the landing approach over São Miguel's interior is the highlight of the whole flight and tips the balance to the left.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow departures heading west or southwest on runways 27L/27R give the right side a clear view over central London as the aircraft banks south. You'll see the Thames snaking eastward through the city, with the dense urban grid of West London directly below before the aircraft tracks out over Surrey. Notable sights include: River Thames through West London, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park to the northwest, the M25 orbital motorway, Surrey Hills and North Downs visible to the south.

When landing at Ponta Delgada (PDL), sit on the Left side for the best views. Ponta Delgada's runway 30 approach brings aircraft in from the southeast over the ocean, and a left-side seat gives you the best view of São Miguel's dramatic volcanic interior as you descend. The Sete Cidades twin crater lakes and the Fogo crater lake are clearly visible on the left as the plane tracks along the island's spine before turning final. Notable sights include: Sete Cidades twin crater lakes (blue and green), Lagoa do Fogo volcanic crater lake, the green volcanic ridgeline of the island's central spine, Ponta Delgada city waterfront and harbor.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Ponta Delgada (PDL) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours.

The flight tracks southwest from London over the English Channel briefly, then out over the Bay of Biscay, crossing the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula near Galicia at cruising altitude. The remainder is open North Atlantic Ocean with occasional cloud systems. No significant landmasses are crossed after Iberia until São Miguel appears on descent.