Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Abu Dhabi. While the left side wins at takeoff for the Chicago skyline, the right side delivers more consistently across the full flight — it captures the Alps crossing (right side has better views of the central Alps on a polar routing via the North Atlantic and Europe), and critically wins the Abu Dhabi arrival with the stunning Gulf coastline and city island. The right side also picks up views of the Greenland ice sheet and Scottish/English coastline on the transatlantic leg.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing ORD, aircraft typically use runways oriented east-west or northwest-southeast. On a polar/northeastern routing toward the Atlantic, a left-side seat gives you the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan shoreline as the aircraft climbs and turns northeast. The dense grid of downtown Chicago and the lakefront are clearly visible from the left. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago River grid, Evanston and North Shore suburbs along the lake.

When landing at Abu Dhabi International (AUH), sit on the Right side for the best views. Aircraft approaching AUH typically land from the northeast on runways oriented roughly northeast-southwest. A right-side seat on approach gives views over the Abu Dhabi city island, the Persian Gulf coastline, and the distinctive urban layout of the capital including Yas Island and the surrounding shallow turquoise Gulf waters. The left side faces inland desert. Notable sights include: Abu Dhabi city island and corniche, Persian Gulf turquoise shallows, Yas Island, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (visible as large white structure near the city).

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Abu Dhabi International (AUH) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours nonstop.

The route typically tracks northeast over Canada (Hudson Bay visible), crosses the North Atlantic near Greenland's southern tip with iceberg-dotted waters, passes over Ireland and England, crosses continental Europe over France or Germany, transits the Alps, continues over the Balkans or Turkey, crosses the Anatolian plateau, passes over Iraq or Kuwait, and descends into the Persian Gulf region. The Greenland ice sheet, the Alps, the Bosphorus strait near Istanbul, and the Mesopotamian river delta of the Tigris and Euphrates are among the most visually striking features en route.