Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Portland to London. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. At departure you get Mount Hood and the Columbia River; at arrival you get the Thames and London. Over the mid-flight polar route there is less to differentiate sides, but left also faces south over Canada and Greenland where coastal fjords and ice sheets are more dramatic than the open Arctic Ocean on the right.

During takeoff from Portland International (PDX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PDX primarily uses runways 28L/28R for westbound departures, meaning the aircraft turns northward after takeoff. The left side faces south and east, giving a direct view of Mount Hood dominating the eastern skyline and the Columbia River gorge cutting through the Cascades. This is the money shot leaving Portland. Notable sights include: Mount Hood (11,249 ft), Columbia River and its gorge, Mount St. Helens to the north (visible from left on the turn), downtown Portland grid along the Willamette River.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Left side for the best views. Heathrow's dominant runway orientation is 27L/27R, with aircraft approaching from the east over London. On a westbound approach, the left side faces south, giving views over central London including the Thames, while the right side looks north over suburban sprawl. Left wins clearly for the Thames bend, the City of London, and recognizable landmarks. Notable sights include: River Thames and its distinctive meanders, City of London skyline (Canary Wharf cluster, Shard), Windsor Castle and Windsor Great Park near final approach, Wembley Stadium arch.

The flight from Portland International (PDX) to Heathrow (LHR) takes Approximately 9 to 10 hours.

The great circle route tracks northeast over British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies, then over Hudson Bay or northern Quebec depending on winds, across the southern tip of Greenland with its ice sheet and fjord coastline, then over Iceland or just south of it, across the North Atlantic, and into the UK over Scotland or northern England. Greenland's ice sheet and coastal fjords are the most visually dramatic midpoint feature, typically visible 4 to 5 hours into the flight.