Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Dubai. Left side wins both ends of the flight — Chicago's skyline and lakefront on departure, and Dubai Creek and the city core on arrival. Over the Atlantic and Europe the views are broadly similar on both sides, but the left side also gets better angles over Greenland's ice sheet and the Alps if the routing tracks that way.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing ORD, most runways send you northeast or east toward the city. The left side gives you a clear view of downtown Chicago's skyline, Lake Michigan's shoreline, and the dense urban grid of the North Side. Right side faces suburban sprawl with little of interest. Notable sights include: Downtown Chicago skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago River corridor, Grant Park lakefront.

When landing at Dubai International (DXB), sit on the Left side for the best views. DXB's primary runways (12L/30R and 12R/30L) run roughly northwest-southeast. Arriving from the northwest on runway 12, the left side faces south toward the Dubai Creek, Deira district, and the older city core. The right side looks north over open desert and industrial areas toward Sharjah. Notable sights include: Dubai Creek and Deira district, Dubai city center skyline on the horizon, Persian Gulf coastline, flat desert terrain of the UAE interior.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Dubai International (DXB) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours.

The great circle route from ORD to DXB typically tracks northeast over southern Canada and Newfoundland, then crosses the North Atlantic, passes over or near southern Greenland or Iceland, crosses northern Europe over the UK and Scandinavia or Germany, continues over Eastern Europe and Turkey, then descends over the Arabian Peninsula. Key features include the St. Lawrence River valley, Newfoundland coastline, North Atlantic ocean, Greenland ice sheet edge, Scottish Highlands or Scandinavian fjords depending on exact routing, the Alps if routing goes through central Europe, Black Sea or Caspian Sea, Anatolian plateau of Turkey, and the stark brown desert of the Arabian Peninsula approaching the UAE.