Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Orlando to Dubai. The Dubai approach on the left side delivers the most dramatic and concentrated visual payoff of the entire flight — the Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, and Marina skyline all in one descent sequence. The Orlando takeoff right side is good but over flat terrain. Left wins overall for the landing experience alone.

During takeoff from Orlando International (MCO), sit on the Right side for the best views. MCO's primary departure runways 35L/35R send aircraft northward, then routes typically curve northeast. Right side gives views over the Orlando urban grid, Lake Tohopekaliga, and the chain of lakes southeast of the city before the coast appears. Left side faces west toward less distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: Lake Tohopekaliga to the southeast, the Orlando downtown skyline to the northwest briefly, the St. Johns River floodplain marshes to the east, Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center visible on the Atlantic coast horizon.

When landing at Dubai International (DXB), sit on the Left side for the best views. DXB's primary landing runways 12L/12R bring aircraft in from the northwest over the desert and then over Dubai's urban core. Left side faces south toward the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina skyscrapers, and the Burj Khalifa district as you descend over the city. Right side faces north toward less developed desert and Sharjah. Notable sights include: Palm Jumeirah artificial island, Dubai Marina and JBR skyscraper cluster, Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai towers, Dubai Creek and Deira district.

The flight from Orlando International (MCO) to Dubai International (DXB) takes Approximately 14 to 15 hours nonstop.

The flight path typically crosses the North Atlantic toward the UK or Ireland, then tracks across continental Europe over France, the Alps, and the Balkans or Turkey, before crossing into the Middle East over Iraq or Saudi Arabia. Key features include the Greenland ice sheet edge if routing far north, the Alps as a distinctive snow-capped mountain chain visible from high altitude, the Aegean Sea and Greek islands, the Anatolian plateau of Turkey, the Tigris-Euphrates river system in Iraq, and the Arabian Desert before descent into Dubai.