Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Diego to Seattle. The right side wins overall because the San Diego Bay departure is spectacular and hard to beat, and during the cruise north along the Pacific Coast the right side tracks the California and Oregon coastline — you can see the coast ranges, river mouths, and the rugged Pacific shore from Northern California through Oregon. The left side has Mount Rainier on approach, but the right side delivers more sustained scenery across the full flight.

During takeoff from San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN), sit on the Right side for the best views. SAN's primary departure runway 27 sends aircraft westward over Mission Bay and the Pacific before turning north. The right side gives you San Diego Bay, the Coronado Bridge, and the downtown skyline as you climb out. The left side faces north toward the hills but misses the dramatic bay and ocean views. Notable sights include: San Diego Bay and Coronado Bridge, downtown San Diego skyline, Point Loma peninsula, Mission Bay.

When landing at Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA's primary arrival on runway 16L/16R brings aircraft in from the north heading south, with the left side facing east toward the Cascades and Mount Rainier. On approach over Puget Sound, the left seat gives you Elliott Bay, downtown Seattle, and the Olympic Mountains across the water to the west — actually both sides have merit, but the left side captures the iconic Rainier and Seattle skyline combination on final. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier to the southeast, downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, the Cascade Range to the east.

The flight from San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN) to Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes.

The flight tracks roughly up the California and Oregon coast. Notable features include the Channel Islands visible off the Southern California coast early in the flight, the Santa Barbara and Big Sur coastline, San Francisco Bay Area and the Golden Gate visible to the right around the midpoint, the rugged Oregon Coast Ranges and the mouth of the Columbia River marking the Oregon-Washington border, and Mount Shasta visible as a snow-capped volcanic peak to the left (east) in Northern California at cruise altitude.