Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Copenhagen. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the transatlantic cruise at 35,000 feet the views are largely ocean and cloud, but the left side also picks up the southern tip of Greenland and Iceland's coast on the great circle route, making it the stronger choice throughout.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare's most common departure heading on runways 10L/10C takes the aircraft eastward, putting the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan on the left (north) side. You get a clear view of the downtown Loop, Grant Park, and the lakefront as the plane climbs and banks northeast toward the transatlantic route. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline, Lake Michigan shoreline, Navy Pier, Millennium Park area.

When landing at Kastrup (CPH), sit on the Left side for the best views. Kastrup's primary landing runway 22L brings aircraft in from the northeast over the Øresund strait, placing the left side toward central Copenhagen, the harbor, and the iconic Øresund Bridge connecting Denmark to Sweden. The right side faces open water and the Swedish coast, which is less interesting. Notable sights include: Øresund Bridge, Copenhagen city center and harbor, Amager Fælled, Malmö waterfront across the strait.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Kastrup (CPH) takes Approximately 8 to 9 hours.

The great circle route from ORD to CPH tracks northeast over the Great Lakes, then over Quebec and Labrador, crosses the Labrador Sea, passes near the southern tip of Greenland with its ice sheet visible, arcs over the North Atlantic near Iceland, then descends over the North Sea crossing the Danish coast near Jutland before approaching Copenhagen from the north.