Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Memphis to New York. Right side wins overall because the Memphis departure offers more dramatic and immediate visual interest with the Mississippi River's distinctive curves, while the landing views are comparable on both sides. Right seats capture the most geographically significant feature of the route's origin.

During takeoff from Memphis International (MEM), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right side seats capture the Mississippi River's dramatic meander immediately after departure, plus the downtown Memphis skyline receding to the left. MEM typically departs north or northeast, so right-side windows frame the river's oxbow curves that define the city's geography. Notable sights include: Mississippi River (immediate foreground), downtown Memphis skyline, Shelby Farms Park (large green space east of city), Wolf River channel.

When landing at La Guardia (LGA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left side provides the best approach views into LGA. Most arrivals use runway 4 or 13 (depending on wind), which align the descent path over the East River, Astoria Queens, and the Manhattan skyline. Left-side seats frame the Hudson River, East River, and the approach corridor over water and dense urban development. Notable sights include: East River, Hudson River, Manhattan skyline, Astoria/Long Island City waterfront development.

The flight from Memphis International (MEM) to La Guardia (LGA) takes Approximately 4 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Appalachian foothills (visible around 2 hours into flight as low mountain ridges on the horizon), the Ohio River valley near Cincinnati/Kentucky border, and then transitions to the Atlantic coastal plain. The Allegheny Mountains appear as distant ridges during the final 90 minutes before descent into the New York area. No single dramatic midpoint landmark dominates this route—it's a gradual transition from delta terrain to Appalachian foothills to coastal plain.