Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Minneapolis to San Francisco. The left side wins at both ends of the flight. During cruise over the Rockies, the left side also has a slight advantage looking south toward the more dramatic peaks of the Colorado and Utah ranges as the flight tracks southwest. Consistent advantage throughout makes left the clear choice.

During takeoff from Minneapolis St Paul International (MSP), sit on the Left side for the best views. MSP's primary departure runway 12L/30R sends westbound flights departing on runway 30R heading northwest initially. A left-side seat gives you views over downtown Minneapolis, the Mississippi River gorge, and the chain of lakes in south Minneapolis during the climbing turn toward the west. The right side faces mostly suburban sprawl toward the south. Notable sights include: Downtown Minneapolis skyline, Mississippi River gorge, Chain of Lakes (Lake Calhoun/Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet), Minnesota River confluence.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO's primary arrival runways 28L/28R have aircraft approaching from the east over the Bay, meaning a left-side seat faces south toward the San Francisco Peninsula, the southern Bay, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The right side looks north toward the open water of the central Bay and is less visually interesting on final approach. However, if arriving on runways 19L/19R, the left side gets the best view of the city and Golden Gate. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay southern reach, San Mateo Bridge, Santa Cruz Mountains ridge, San Francisco Peninsula urban grid.

The flight from Minneapolis St Paul International (MSP) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours 15 minutes.

The flight tracks southwest over South Dakota's flat plains, then crosses the Badlands region, the Black Hills visible to the south, before crossing Wyoming and the Wind River Range. The flight then passes over the Great Salt Lake basin in Utah — the lake itself may be visible as a large pale flat expanse to the left — before crossing the Nevada desert's basin-and-range terrain and the Sierra Nevada mountains on descent into the Bay Area.