Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Raleigh-durham to Houston. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the cruise over Mississippi and Louisiana, the left side also offers better views of the Mississippi River as it crosses your path, a genuinely distinctive feature visible from altitude.

During takeoff from Raleigh Durham International (RDU), sit on the Left side for the best views. RDU's primary departure runway 23L sends aircraft southwest, putting the left side facing southeast toward downtown Raleigh and the Research Triangle urban core. You get a clear look at the city grid and Jordan Lake as the aircraft climbs out. Notable sights include: Downtown Raleigh skyline, Jordan Lake reservoir, Research Triangle Park campus clusters, Falls Lake to the north.

When landing at George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH), sit on the Left side for the best views. IAH typically uses runways oriented northeast-southwest. On approach from the east, the left side faces south toward downtown Houston, the Ship Channel, and the sprawling petrochemical complex along the bayou system. The right side sees mostly flat suburban sprawl north of the airport. Notable sights include: Downtown Houston skyline, Houston Ship Channel industrial corridor, Lake Houston to the east, Galveston Bay visible on clear days to the south.

The flight from Raleigh Durham International (RDU) to George Bush Intcntl Houston (IAH) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours.

The flight tracks southwest across the North Carolina Piedmont, then over South Carolina and Georgia before crossing Alabama and Mississippi. The Mississippi River crossing near Jackson, MS is the most visually distinctive midpoint feature. Over Louisiana the terrain flattens dramatically into bayou country and the coastal plain. The transition from pine forest to Gulf Coast lowlands is gradual but noticeable from altitude.