Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from London to San Francisco. The left side wins overall. While the right side has a slight edge at Luton departure for London views, the left side delivers the more spectacular arrival into SFO with the full San Francisco Bay panorama. Across the Atlantic and over Canada, the left side also faces slightly more southward, giving better views of the St. Lawrence River, the Canadian Shield lakes, and the Rocky Mountain approaches over British Columbia.

During takeoff from Luton (LTN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Luton typically departs on runway 08 (heading east) or 26 (heading west). On the dominant westerly departure (runway 26), the aircraft turns northwest toward the Atlantic. A right-side seat gives you views south over Greater London — the Thames snaking through the city, Canary Wharf towers, and the urban sprawl toward the M25. On an easterly departure (runway 08), right side still captures the Chiltern Hills rolling away to the south. Notable sights include: River Thames through central London, Canary Wharf cluster, Chiltern Hills escarpment, M25 orbital motorway corridor.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO's primary arrival runways are 28L and 28R, approaching from the east over the Bay. On this westbound approach, left-side seats face south and get a clear view of the San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo Bridge, and the city of San Francisco with its hills. Right side faces north toward Oakland and the East Bay hills but misses the more dramatic city and bay panorama. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Francisco city skyline and hills, San Mateo Bridge, Peninsula cities of Burlingame and San Mateo.

The flight from Luton (LTN) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 10 to 11 hours.

The route tracks northwest from London over Ireland, then across the North Atlantic following a great circle arc. Over Canada it crosses Newfoundland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec, and Ontario before arcing over the Canadian prairies of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Rocky Mountains of British Columbia appear in the final hours, with the Coast Ranges visible before descent over the Pacific and into the Bay Area.