Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to Vancouver. Left wins at both ends of the flight. Over London on departure you get the Thames and city views, and on arrival into Vancouver the left seat delivers the iconic North Shore Mountains and downtown skyline. Mid-flight over Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, left also tends to face slightly more toward the ice sheet on the typical great circle routing.

During takeoff from Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow departures on runway 27L/27R head westbound, and a left (south-facing) seat gives you a clear view over central London during the initial climb and turn. You'll see the Thames snaking eastward through the city, with the dense urban grid of west London directly below before the aircraft tracks northwest. Notable sights include: River Thames through central London, Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park to the southwest, Wembley Stadium arch visible to the north, Slough and the M25 motorway interchange below.

When landing at Vancouver International (YVR), sit on the Left side for the best views. YVR approaches from the east on runway 08L/08R, and a left (north-facing) seat gives you the dramatic view of the North Shore Mountains — the Coastal Range including Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour — looming directly ahead and to the left as you descend over the Fraser River delta. The right seat faces south toward flat farmland and the US border. Notable sights include: North Shore Mountains (Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, Mount Fromme), Burrard Inlet and downtown Vancouver skyline, Fraser River delta and its braided channels, Strait of Georgia to the west.

The flight from Heathrow (LHR) to Vancouver International (YVR) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours westbound.

The great circle route tracks northwest over Ireland, then across the North Atlantic, clipping the southern tip of Greenland where the ice sheet and fjords are visible, then across the Davis Strait into Baffin Island and the Canadian Arctic. Over northern Canada expect the boreal forest of Quebec and Ontario giving way to the tundra and lakes of the Northwest Territories. The Rocky Mountains appear in the final hour as the aircraft descends toward British Columbia, with the Coast Mountains visible on approach to Vancouver.