Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Kahului. While the left side has a good Chicago departure view, the right side at landing delivers one of the most dramatic arrival views in domestic aviation — Haleakala's massive volcano, the West Maui Mountains, and turquoise coastal waters all at once. The right side also picks up views of the Pacific Ocean's deep blue expanse during the final descent over open water.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. ORD's most common westbound departures use runways 10L/10C heading east before turning, or runways 27L/27R heading west. On a westbound departure toward Hawaii, aircraft typically climb out heading west-southwest. The left side gives you a clear view south over downtown Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan's southern shoreline as you bank right to track southwest. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), southern Lake Michigan shoreline, Indiana Dunes coastline, Illinois farmland grid pattern.

When landing at Kahului (OGG), sit on the Right side for the best views. Kahului Airport sits on Maui's north-central isthmus. Arrivals typically come from the northeast on runway 02 or from the south on runway 20. On a northeast approach (runway 02), the right side faces west toward the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala's massive shield volcano dominates the right window. On a southeast approach (runway 20), the right side still captures Haleakala's slopes and the Kihei coastline. Notable sights include: Haleakala volcano (10,023 ft summit), West Maui Mountains, Maalaea Bay, Kahului Harbor.

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

The route tracks southwest over Iowa and Nebraska farmland, crosses the Rocky Mountains over Colorado or Utah (visible as snow-capped ranges from altitude), passes over the Great Basin desert of Nevada, crosses the Sierra Nevada, then exits the California coast near Los Angeles or San Francisco before crossing roughly 2,400 miles of open Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian island chain becomes visible in sequence — Oahu and Molokai may appear to the left before Maui comes into view on descent.