Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Palm Springs. The right side delivers the more dramatic single moment of the flight — the San Jacinto mountain wall on approach into PSP is genuinely one of the most spectacular arrivals in US domestic aviation. The left side has a good Chicago departure view, but the right side's Mojave Desert terrain and the PSP arrival compensate well enough that the San Jacinto approach tips the balance.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. ORD's most common westbound departures (runways 10L/10C heading west or 28L/28R heading east then turning southwest) mean the left side catches the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan shoreline as the aircraft climbs and banks southwest. The downtown Loop and lakefront are clearly visible to the southeast on the left side during the initial climb and turn. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline, Lake Michigan shoreline, Midway Airport to the south, Chicago River corridor.

When landing at Palm Springs International (PSP), sit on the Right side for the best views. PSP typically uses runway 31L for arrivals from the east, meaning aircraft approach from the southeast heading northwest. The right side faces northeast directly toward the San Jacinto Mountains and Mount San Jacinto, which rise dramatically above the Coachella Valley floor. This is one of the most striking mountain approaches in US commercial aviation. Notable sights include: Mount San Jacinto (10,834 ft), San Jacinto Mountains, Coachella Valley floor and date palm groves, Salton Sea to the southeast.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Palm Springs International (PSP) takes Approximately 3 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours.

The flight tracks southwest over the flat Illinois and Iowa farmland, then crosses the Missouri River near Kansas City, continues over the Flint Hills of Kansas, crosses the Oklahoma panhandle, then traverses the high desert of New Mexico and Arizona including the Colorado Plateau and Painted Desert region, before descending over the Mojave Desert and into the Coachella Valley. The transition from Great Plains to Basin and Range terrain over New Mexico and Arizona is visible from both sides around the midpoint.