Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Doha. The Chicago departure on the left offers a genuinely spectacular urban and lakefront view that is hard to beat. The landing view on the right at Doha is interesting but relatively brief and the Gulf approach is largely featureless water. Over the long polar routing, neither side has a decisive advantage at cruise altitude, so the Chicago departure experience tips the balance to the left seat.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. ORD departures heading east or northeast (common for transatlantic/polar routing) put the left side facing south toward downtown Chicago. You get a clear view of the Loop skyline, Lake Michigan's shoreline, and the lakefront parks. Right side faces northwest into suburban sprawl with nothing notable. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline with Willis Tower, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, Chicago River bends through downtown.

When landing at Doha International (DOH), sit on the Right side for the best views. Doha's airport sits on reclaimed land on the east side of the city. Arrivals typically come in from the east or northeast over the Persian Gulf, meaning the right side faces north and west toward Doha's West Bay skyline and the broader Qatar peninsula. Left side looks out over open Gulf water. Notable sights include: Doha West Bay skyline cluster, Qatar peninsula coastline, Persian Gulf shallow turquoise waters, Palm Tree Island and coastal reclamation areas.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Doha International (DOH) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours nonstop.

The routing typically goes northeast from Chicago over the Great Lakes, then across southern Canada and Labrador, over Greenland's ice sheet (visible as a vast white expanse at cruise altitude), across Iceland and the Norwegian Sea, over Scandinavia or the Baltic states, then southeast across Eastern Europe, Turkey, and down through the Levant and Arabian Peninsula to Qatar. Greenland's ice cap and the fjorded coastlines of Norway are the most visually dramatic features at cruise altitude on this routing.