Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Nashville. The right side wins overall because the Nashville arrival view of the Cumberland River bend and downtown skyline is one of the more dramatic urban approach views in the mid-South. The takeoff views from Phoenix are compelling on the left, but the right side during cruise also captures the New Mexico highlands and the Tennessee River valley terrain as you cross into the mid-South.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX primarily departs east on runway 26R/26L or west on 8R/8L. On an eastbound departure toward Nashville, aircraft typically climb out heading east then northeast. The left (north) side gives you a clear view of downtown Phoenix, the grid of the Valley of the Sun, and the South Mountain Park ridgeline to the south as you bank northeast. The Superstition Mountains come into view to the east-northeast as you climb out. Notable sights include: Downtown Phoenix skyline, South Mountain Park ridgeline, Superstition Mountains to the east, Salt River channel cutting through the valley floor.

When landing at Nashville International (BNA), sit on the Right side for the best views. BNA's primary arrival from the west typically uses runways 31 or 02L, with aircraft approaching from the southwest or west. The right (north) side on approach gives a clear view of the Cumberland River as it loops through downtown Nashville, plus the downtown skyline including the AT&T Building. The left side faces south toward suburban sprawl with fewer distinctive features. Notable sights include: Cumberland River loops through downtown Nashville, Nashville downtown skyline including the AT&T Building, Percy Priest Lake to the southeast, Old Hickory Lake to the northeast.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Nashville International (BNA) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours.

The flight crosses eastern Arizona desert and the Mogollon Rim escarpment, then over the high plains of eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. Over Oklahoma and Arkansas the terrain transitions from flat plains to the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateau, with the Arkansas River valley visible below. Crossing into Tennessee, the Cumberland Plateau's forested ridgelines and the Tennessee River system become visible before descending into the Nashville Basin.