Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Tampa. Left side wins overall. The Phoenix departure on the left delivers the most dramatic scenery of the flight — volcanic mountain ridges, the Salt River valley, and the full Phoenix metro spread out below. The left side also tracks the Gulf Coast of Florida during the final descent. The right side is better specifically for the Tampa Bay landing view, but the cumulative scenery across the full flight favors left.

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. On an eastbound departure before turning southeast, the left (south) side gives you South Mountain Park and the broad Salt River valley. On a westbound departure turning south, the left side captures the Sierra Estrella range and the sprawling Phoenix metro grid. Either way, left side tracks the more dramatic terrain. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, clearly visible as a dark ridge south of the city), Camelback Mountain (distinctive camel-hump silhouette northeast of downtown), the Salt River bed (wide sandy wash cutting east-west through the valley), Tempe Town Lake (rectangular reservoir just east of Sky Harbor).

When landing at Tampa International (TPA), sit on the Right side for the best views. TPA typically lands on runway 19R/19L from the north or runway 1L/1R from the south. On a northerly approach over Tampa Bay, the right (west) side looks directly over the open waters of Tampa Bay and the St. Petersburg peninsula, which is far more scenic than the inland suburban sprawl on the left. On a southerly approach, right side still captures the bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Notable sights include: Tampa Bay (large open estuary clearly visible on approach), Sunshine Skyway Bridge (distinctive cable-stayed bridge spanning the bay mouth, visible from 20+ miles), St. Petersburg downtown peninsula (compact grid jutting into the bay), Howard Frankland Bridge (long causeway crossing the bay mid-span).

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Tampa International (TPA) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses southeastern Arizona desert and the Sonoran Desert transition zone, then over southern New Mexico and west Texas scrubland near the Guadalupe Mountains area (visible as a faint ridge on the horizon to the north). Over central Texas the terrain flattens into the Edwards Plateau. The flight then crosses the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas and Louisiana, with the Mississippi River delta visible as a broad muddy fan entering the Gulf of Mexico. Over the Gulf itself the water is visible below before the Florida Gulf Coast comes into view near Naples or Fort Myers, with the Everglades appearing as a vast flat green expanse to the south.