Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Mexico City. The right side wins overall because the volcanic approach into Mexico City — with Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl on the horizon — is one of the most dramatic arrival views in North America. While the left side has a good Phoenix departure, the right side delivers both the Sierra Madre Occidental terrain over Sonora and Sinaloa during cruise and the spectacular volcanic skyline on descent.

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 west on 8R/8L. Southbound departures to MEX often involve a left turn heading southeast, putting the left side over the Salt River valley and the South Mountain Park massif. The Superstition Mountains and the eastern Phoenix metro grid are clearly visible on the left during the climbing turn. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, clearly visible as a dark ridge south of the metro), Superstition Mountains to the east, Salt River bed cutting through the valley floor, Phoenix grid street pattern.

When landing at Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX), sit on the Right side for the best views. Licenciado Benito Juarez International sits in the eastern part of Mexico City. Aircraft typically approach from the north or northwest on runway 05R/05L heading northeast, or from the south on runway 23. A northbound approach from the south puts the right side facing west toward the historic city center, Chapultepec Park, and the volcanic peaks. The Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes are dramatically visible to the southeast on the right side during descent from the north. Notable sights include: Popocatépetl volcano (active, 17,802 ft, snow-capped), Iztaccíhuatl volcano (17,159 ft, glaciated ridge), Chapultepec Park and its forest visible as a green patch in the urban fabric, the dense Mexico City urban sprawl filling the Valley of Mexico.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes.

The flight crosses the Sonoran Desert south of Phoenix, then the Sierra Madre Occidental range over Sonora and Sinaloa — a rugged, deeply dissected mountain system rising to 8,000-10,000 feet visible as brown ridgelines below. Further south the terrain drops toward the coastal plain of Nayarit and Jalisco before rising again into the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt approaching Mexico City. The Lerma-Santiago river basin and Lake Chapala (Mexico's largest lake) may be visible to the west during descent.