Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Kansas City to Phoenix. The right seat wins overall. While the left side has a slight edge at takeoff over Kansas City, the right seat delivers the more dramatic payoff: the Sangre de Cristo foothills of New Mexico in the mid-flight, and the spectacular Phoenix basin arrival with Camelback and the McDowell Mountains on approach. The right side also tracks closer to the Four Corners high desert terrain during cruise.

During takeoff from Kansas City International (MCI), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing MCI, most runways send aircraft southwest or northwest. A left/south-facing seat gives you views over Kansas City proper, the Missouri River bends, and the urban grid as you climb out. The right side faces north toward open farmland with little of interest. Notable sights include: Missouri River bends near downtown KC, Kansas City urban grid and downtown skyline, Brush Creek corridor through midtown, sprawling suburban grid of Johnson County Kansas.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Right side for the best views. PHX runways 7L/7R and 8 have aircraft approaching from the west, meaning a right/north-facing seat gives you the best view of the McDowell Mountains, Camelback Mountain, and the Phoenix metro grid. Left seats face south toward South Mountain and the suburban sprawl of Chandler and Gilbert, which is less dramatic. Notable sights include: Camelback Mountain rising above the Phoenix grid, McDowell Mountains to the northeast, South Mountain Park ridge to the south, Salt River bed and Tempe Town Lake.

The flight from Kansas City International (MCI) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes.

The flight tracks southwest over the Flint Hills of Kansas, then crosses the Oklahoma panhandle and northeastern New Mexico high plains. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Raton Mesa are visible to the right in New Mexico. The route then crosses the high desert of eastern Arizona, with the White Mountains and the Mogollon Rim visible as a dramatic escarpment before descending into the Phoenix basin.