Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Raleigh-durham to Los Angeles. Right side misses the best of the RDU departure but wins decisively on the LAX arrival with the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica Bay, and the dramatic contrast of the LA Basin meeting the coast. Across the mid-flight, right side also gets better views of the Texas Hill Country, New Mexico desert basins, and the Arizona high desert as the route tracks southwest.

During takeoff from Raleigh Durham International (RDU), sit on the Left side for the best views. RDU primarily departs westbound on runway 23L/23R, so left-side passengers look south over the Research Triangle urban sprawl and get a clear view of Jordan Lake and the broader Piedmont landscape as the aircraft climbs and turns west. Right side faces north toward less distinctive terrain. Notable sights include: Jordan Lake reservoir to the south, downtown Raleigh skyline to the southeast, Research Triangle Park campus grid, Haw River valley.

When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX approaches from the east on runways 24L/24R, meaning the aircraft tracks westbound over the Los Angeles Basin before turning over the Pacific for final approach. Right-side passengers see the Santa Monica Bay, the South Bay coastline, and the Pacific Ocean on the base leg, while left side looks inland over urban sprawl. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Bay and Pacific Ocean coastline, Santa Monica Mountains ridge, Los Angeles Basin urban grid, Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The flight from Raleigh Durham International (RDU) to Los Angeles International (LAX) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes.

The route crosses the southern Appalachian foothills briefly, then the broad Mississippi River near Memphis, the Arkansas and Texas plains, the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas and New Mexico, the Rio Grande valley, southern Arizona desert including the Sonoran Desert and scattered mountain ranges like the Dragoon and Rincon Mountains, then the Colorado Desert of southern California before descending into the LA Basin