Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Lihue to Phoenix. Left side wins both departure and arrival. Over the Pacific and during the mainland crossing, the left side also faces south toward the Hawaiian island chain as you climb out, and later over the Southwest it captures the Colorado River corridor and Lake Mead on the distant horizon before descending into Phoenix.

During takeoff from Lihue (LIH), sit on the Left side for the best views. Lihue Airport typically departs runway 3 (heading northeast) or runway 21 (heading southwest). On a northeast departure, the left side faces northwest toward the Na Pali Coast cliffs and the interior of Kauai including Waimea Canyon. As the aircraft climbs and turns northeast toward the mainland, the left side continues to offer views back over the island's dramatic ridgelines. Notable sights include: Na Pali Coast sea cliffs, Waimea Canyon (visible as a deep red-walled gorge in the island interior), Hanalei Bay on the north shore, Kauai's central Mount Waialeale summit.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. Phoenix Sky Harbor sits east of downtown Phoenix, and aircraft typically land on runway 26 (heading west) or runway 8 (heading east). On a westbound approach from the east, the left side faces south toward South Mountain Park and the broad Salt River valley, while also giving a clear view of downtown Phoenix's skyline as you cross over it on final. On an eastbound approach, the left side still captures South Mountain and the sprawling grid of the metro. Notable sights include: Downtown Phoenix skyline, South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, visible as a dark rocky ridge south of the city), Camelback Mountain (distinctive camel-hump shaped peak in the northeast metro), the Salt River bed running west through the valley.

The flight from Lihue (LIH) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes.

After departing Kauai the flight crosses open Pacific for roughly 2,500 miles with no land visible. The California coastline appears near Los Angeles or the Central Valley depending on routing. The flight then crosses the Mojave Desert, the Colorado River near Needles or Parker, and the Sonoran Desert before descending into the Phoenix basin. Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon may be visible to the north on some routings.