Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Mexico City to Washington. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. The volcanic departure view over Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl is exceptional and hard to beat anywhere in the world. At arrival, the Blue Ridge and Potomac views on the left are more scenic than the flat suburban sprawl visible on the right.

During takeoff from Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX), sit on the Left side for the best views. MEX typically departs northeast on runway 05R/05L. A left-side seat faces northwest toward the Sierra Nevada volcanic chain, giving you a direct view of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl rising above the Valley of Mexico. These are among the most dramatic departure views in the Americas. Notable sights include: Popocatépetl (active volcano, 17,802 ft), Iztaccíhuatl (dormant volcano, 17,159 ft), the urban sprawl of Mexico City filling the basin, Texcoco lakebed (dry, pale flat area east of the city).

When landing at Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Left side for the best views. IAD typically lands on runways 01L/01R or 19L/19R depending on wind. On the common northbound approach to runway 01, aircraft track over northern Virginia from the south, and left-side seats face west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. On the southbound approach to runway 19, left seats still look east toward the Potomac River and the Washington DC skyline. Notable sights include: Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley (west), Potomac River (visible as a wide silver ribbon), Washington DC skyline including the Capitol dome and Washington Monument (distant, east), Dulles Access Road corridor cutting through suburban Loudoun County.

The flight from Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX) to Washington Dulles International (IAD) takes Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours.

The route tracks northeast over the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, then crosses the Gulf of Mexico itself (a long overwater segment with little to see), makes landfall near the Texas-Louisiana coast, then crosses the Mississippi Delta region, Tennessee, and the Appalachian ridges of Virginia before descending into Dulles. The Mississippi River crossing near Memphis or further south is a notable landmark mid-flight, visible as a wide brown meandering river. The Appalachian ridges of the Valley and Ridge province in Virginia are visible as parallel forested folds on descent.