Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Austin. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. At departure you get Phoenix's mountain parks and the Salt River; at arrival you get the Austin skyline and Lady Bird Lake. The right side offers flat desert and suburban sprawl for most of the journey.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX typically departs east on runway 26R/8L or uses runways oriented east-west. Departing eastbound, the left (north) side gives you a clear view of the South Mountain Park massif and the sprawling Phoenix metro grid. You also get a better look at Tempe Town Lake and the Salt River corridor as the aircraft banks southeast toward Austin. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park, Tempe Town Lake, Salt River bed, Superstition Mountains on the distant eastern horizon.

When landing at Austin Bergstrom International (AUS), sit on the Left side for the best views. ABIA typically lands from the east or southeast on runway 17L/35R. On approach from the west or northwest, the left side faces south and gives you the best view of downtown Austin's skyline, the Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake), and the Hill Country terrain to the west. The right side faces north toward less distinctive suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Downtown Austin skyline, Lady Bird Lake (Colorado River), Texas Hill Country terrain, South Congress corridor.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Austin Bergstrom International (AUS) takes Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.

The flight crosses the Sonoran Desert transitioning to the Chihuahuan Desert scrublands of far west Texas, then over the Davis Mountains region and the Edwards Plateau limestone karst of central Texas. The Pecos River valley is visible roughly 45 minutes in, and the broad flat Permian Basin gives way to the increasingly green Hill Country as you approach Austin.