Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Madras. The left side wins overall. Beyond the Chicago departure views, the polar routing takes the flight over Canada and then across Central Asia. The left side faces generally south for much of the cruise, offering better views of the Himalayas on approach to the Indian subcontinent — specifically the high peaks of the Hindu Kush and western Himalayan ranges visible as a distant white wall on the horizon during descent into India. The right side has a slight edge only at Chennai landing.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing ORD, most runways send aircraft northeast or east before turning. A left/south-facing seat gives you the Chicago skyline along the lakefront as you climb out over the western suburbs. Lake Michigan's shoreline and the dense downtown grid are clearly visible from the left side. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park lakefront, Chicago River grid.

When landing at Chennai International (MAA), sit on the Right side for the best views. Chennai airport sits just inland from the Bay of Bengal, and aircraft typically approach from the north or northwest on runway 07/25 or 12/30. A right-side seat on approach gives you the Bay of Bengal coastline, Marina Beach — one of the longest urban beaches in the world — and the dense Chennai urban fabric spreading inland. Notable sights include: Bay of Bengal coastline, Marina Beach, Chennai urban grid, Buckingham Canal.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Chennai International (MAA) takes Approximately 17 to 19 hours nonstop (no direct service exists; typical routing via Middle East hubs adds layover time, but a theoretical nonstop great circle would be around 17.5 hours).

Great circle routing from ORD to MAA passes northeast over Lake Huron and Quebec, then across the North Atlantic near Greenland's southern tip, over Scandinavia or the UK depending on winds, across Eastern Europe and Turkey, over the Caucasus Mountains and Iran, across the Arabian Sea, and into India from the northwest — crossing the Thar Desert and Deccan Plateau before descending into Chennai