Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to New York. The left side wins overall. While the right side has a slight edge at departure for the Superstition Mountains, the left side delivers the full Rocky Mountain panorama over New Mexico and Colorado in the cruise portion, and then the unbeatable Manhattan skyline approach into LGA — which is one of the best urban approaches in commercial aviation.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Right side for the best views. PHX primarily departs east on runway 26R/26L or west on 8R/8L. On eastbound departures toward LGA, the aircraft climbs and turns northeast, putting the South Mountain Park and the Superstition Mountains on the right side. The right seat also captures the Phoenix metro grid and Salt River valley as you gain altitude. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park, Superstition Mountains, Salt River bed, Tempe Town Lake.

When landing at La Guardia (LGA), sit on the Left side for the best views. LGA approaches typically come in from the southwest over New Jersey on runway 31, or from the south over Jamaica Bay on runway 22. On the standard runway 31 approach from the southwest, the left side faces Manhattan directly — you get a clear broadside view of the entire skyline, the Hudson River, and the George Washington Bridge as you descend over New Jersey. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, Central Park.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to La Guardia (LGA) takes Approximately 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes.

The route tracks northeast over New Mexico, passing near Albuquerque and the Rio Grande valley, then over the southern Rockies and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Crossing into Kansas and Missouri the terrain flattens into the Great Plains. The route then passes over the Ohio Valley and Pennsylvania Appalachians before descending into the New York metro area.