Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Houston. Left side wins both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get the dramatic contrast of Phoenix's desert mountain terrain, and on arrival you get the Houston skyline and Ship Channel. The mid-flight view over West Texas scrubland is relatively featureless on both sides, so the departure and arrival views are the deciding factor.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX typically departs east on runway 26R/26L or uses runway 8 configurations. On an eastbound departure toward Houston, the left (north) side gives you a clear view of the Phoenix metro grid, the Salt River valley, and the South Mountain Park massif to the south comes into view as you climb. The Superstition Mountains appear to the northeast as you gain altitude. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, visible as a dark rocky ridge south of the city), Superstition Mountains (rugged volcanic range to the northeast), Salt River bed (dry sandy channel cutting east-west through the valley), Phoenix downtown grid and Sky Harbor airport complex below.

When landing at George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH), sit on the Left side for the best views. IAH typically lands on runways oriented northeast-southwest (runways 8L/8R or 27L/27R). On approach from the west, the left (south) side gives you the best view of downtown Houston's skyline, the Ship Channel industrial corridor, and the sprawling flat Houston metro. The right side faces north toward less distinctive suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Downtown Houston skyline (cluster of glass towers visible from 30+ miles out), Houston Ship Channel (long industrial waterway running east to the Gulf), Lake Houston (large reservoir to the northeast), Hobby Airport area and southeast Houston industrial zones.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.

The flight crosses the Sonoran Desert transitioning to the Chihuahuan Desert over southern New Mexico and West Texas. You pass over or near the Guadalupe Mountains (highest point in Texas, visible as a small isolated range), the Permian Basin oil fields (identifiable by flaring and industrial infrastructure around Midland-Odessa), and the flat Edwards Plateau before descending into the Gulf Coastal Plain approaching Houston. The terrain is predominantly flat to gently rolling scrub desert with very little surface water until the Houston metro area.