Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Manila to New York. The right side wins overall because the Laguna de Bay and Metro Manila departure view is genuinely spectacular and unique, while the landing advantage on the left is meaningful but brief. Across the Pacific routing, neither side holds a consistent advantage over open ocean, so the takeoff experience tips the balance.

During takeoff from Ninoy Aquino International (MNL), sit on the Right side for the best views. NAIA's primary departure runway 06 sends aircraft northeast over Manila Bay on the left, but the right side captures the dense urban sprawl of Metro Manila, the Pasig River threading through the city, and Laguna de Bay — one of Southeast Asia's largest lakes — coming into view as the aircraft climbs. Runway 24 departures heading southwest give the right side a clear look at Manila Bay and Corregidor Island. Notable sights include: Laguna de Bay (massive freshwater lake southeast of Manila), Pasig River winding through Metro Manila, Manila Bay and its harbor, Corregidor Island at the bay entrance.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary arrival runways 31L/31R bring aircraft in from the southeast over the Atlantic, giving the left side a direct view of the Manhattan skyline, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and Jamaica Bay. The right side faces Long Island's suburban sprawl with little of note. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline on the horizon to the northwest, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge spanning the harbor entrance, Jamaica Bay directly below on final approach, Coney Island peninsula.

The flight from Ninoy Aquino International (MNL) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 16 to 17 hours nonstop, typically routing northeast across the Pacific, over the Aleutian Islands arc, across Canada, and down the US East Coast.

The flight tracks northeast over Luzon and the Philippine Sea, then across the western Pacific toward Japan. It passes near or over the Aleutian Islands chain — a string of volcanic peaks occasionally visible above cloud cover. The route then crosses the Gulf of Alaska, the Canadian Rockies (visible as a dramatic snow-capped mountain spine if flying in daylight), the Canadian prairies, the Great Lakes region, and finally descends along the US Northeast corridor over New England before reaching New York.