Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Sydney. The left side wins overall. While the right side has the edge at Heathrow departure, the left side delivers the more spectacular payoff: the Sydney Harbour approach is one of the great urban arrivals in aviation, and the left window gives you the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Eastern Suburbs coastline on final. Along the route, the left side also tracks better views over the Indian Ocean coastline of Western Australia near Perth and the Nullarbor cliffs.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. Heathrow typically departs eastward on runways 27L/27R (westerly winds), meaning a right-bank turn south gives the right side views over central London. You'll see the Thames snaking through the city, the cluster of Canary Wharf towers, and the City of London skyline before the aircraft heads southeast. Left side faces suburban west London with little of interest. Notable sights include: River Thames bends through central London, Canary Wharf tower cluster, Windsor Castle and Great Park (if departing west on runway 09), City of London skyline with The Shard.

When landing at Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Sydney Airport sits on Botany Bay's northern shore and typically lands from the north on runway 34L/34R in southerly conditions, or from the south on 16L/16R. On the common northerly approach (runway 34), the left side tracks over the eastern suburbs and gives a clear view of Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House. Right side faces inland over flat suburban sprawl toward Parramatta. Notable sights include: Sydney Harbour with Harbour Bridge and Opera House, Bondi Beach and the Eastern Suburbs coastline, Botany Bay directly below on final approach, Royal National Park headlands to the south.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) takes Approximately 22-24 hours with one stop (typically Singapore, Dubai, or Kuala Lumpur); non-stop is not currently operated commercially on this route.

Route typically passes over Europe (Alps visible if routing southeast), then the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf, followed by the Indian subcontinent (Deccan Plateau, possible Himalayas on northern variants), the Bay of Bengal, Malay Peninsula and Singapore Strait, then a long overwater crossing of the Indian Ocean, the Western Australian coast near Perth, the Nullarbor Plain, and the Great Australian Bight cliffs before crossing the Australian interior toward Sydney