Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Diego to Charlotte. The right side delivers the dramatic San Diego Bay and Coronado departure, and during cruise over the Southwest and Southeast you get better views of the terrain transitions including the Sonoran Desert, New Mexico highlands, and Texas Hill Country. The Charlotte arrival on left is strong but the takeoff spectacle on the right side edges it out overall.

During takeoff from San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN), sit on the Right side for the best views. SAN's primary departure runway 27 heads west over the bay before turning. Right side gives you San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the Coronado Bridge clearly. Left side faces downtown buildings and Mission Hills. Notable sights include: San Diego Bay, Coronado Island and Naval Air Station, Coronado Bridge, Point Loma peninsula.

When landing at Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), sit on the Left side for the best views. Charlotte Douglas typically uses runways 18L/18C/18R for southerly arrivals or 36s for northerly. On approach from the west, left side gives you uptown Charlotte's skyline and Lake Norman to the north. Right side faces suburban sprawl with fewer distinctive features. Notable sights include: Uptown Charlotte skyline, Lake Norman to the north, Catawba River corridor, Charlotte Motor Speedway visible to the northeast.

The flight from San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN) to Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) takes Approximately 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes.

After departing San Diego the route crosses the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, the Rio Grande valley near El Paso or Albuquerque depending on routing, then the Llano Estacado of west Texas, the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex visible as a massive urban grid, the pine forests of east Texas and Arkansas, the Mississippi River valley, and finally the rolling Piedmont of the Carolinas approaching Charlotte