Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to San Antonio. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the cruise portion heading east-southeast, the left side also faces north, giving occasional views of the Mogollon Rim terrain in Arizona and the Davis Mountains area of west Texas as distant ridgelines on the horizon.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX typically departs east on runway 26R/25L or uses runways oriented east-west. Climbing out eastbound and turning southeast toward SAT, the left (north) side gives you a clear view of the South Mountain Park massif and the downtown Phoenix grid. The right side faces south toward flat desert with less visual interest. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, visible as a dark rocky ridge south of the city), Camelback Mountain (distinctive camel-hump silhouette to the northeast), the Salt River channel cutting west through the valley, downtown Phoenix skyline.

When landing at San Antonio International (SAT), sit on the Left side for the best views. SAT typically lands on runway 12R/12L (heading southeast) or runway 30 (heading northwest). On approach from the west-northwest on runway 12, the left side faces northeast toward downtown San Antonio and the distinctive bend of the San Antonio River. The right side looks toward flat suburban sprawl with less to see. Notable sights include: Downtown San Antonio skyline and the Tower of the Americas, the San Antonio River winding through the urban core, Lackland AFB and Kelly Field to the southwest (visible as large runway complexes), the flat Hill Country escarpment to the northwest.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to San Antonio International (SAT) takes Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The flight crosses the Sonoran Desert east of Phoenix, then the rugged basin-and-range terrain of southern New Mexico including the Chihuahuan Desert transition zone, the Rio Grande valley near Las Cruces visible as a thin green corridor, then the flat Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of west Texas, and finally the Edwards Plateau limestone terrain approaching San Antonio from the west.