Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to San Diego. The right side wins overall because the SAN arrival on the right delivers one of the most spectacular urban water approaches in the US — San Diego Bay, Coronado, and the downtown skyline all at once. The left side has a good PHX departure view but the right side's landing sequence is more dramatic and memorable.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX typically departs westbound on runway 26 or 25L/R, meaning a left-side seat faces south toward South Mountain Park and the Estrella Mountains. You get a clear view of the urban Phoenix grid spreading across the Salt River Valley before the terrain rises to the south. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park, Estrella Mountains, Salt River bed, downtown Phoenix skyline.

When landing at San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN), sit on the Right side for the best views. SAN runway 27 is the primary arrival, meaning aircraft approach from the east over Mission Valley and downtown San Diego before touching down heading west. A right-side seat faces north, giving you San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the Pacific coastline on final approach — the classic dramatic urban water landing view. Notable sights include: San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and the Silver Strand, downtown San Diego skyline, Point Loma peninsula.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN) takes Approximately 55 to 70 minutes.

The flight crosses the lower Sonoran Desert, passing over the Gila River valley south of the Estrella Mountains, then traverses the rugged Peninsular Ranges including the Laguna Mountains and Cleveland National Forest before descending into the San Diego coastal basin. The terrain transitions from flat desert scrub to increasingly dissected mountain ridges before dropping sharply to the Pacific coastal plain.