Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Diego to San Francisco. The right side wins overall. At takeoff you get the full San Diego Bay panorama with the Coronado Bridge. During the cruise northward along the California coast, the right side tracks the Pacific coastline — you can see the Channel Islands offshore, the Santa Barbara coast, and the Big Sur cliffs in the distance. The left side has inland views of the Central Valley and Coast Ranges, which are less dramatic.

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 San Diego Bay before turning north. The right side gets a clear look back at downtown San Diego, the Coronado Bridge, and the bay as you climb out over the water. Notable sights include: San Diego Bay, Coronado Bridge, downtown San Diego skyline, Point Loma peninsula.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically lands on runways 28L/28R approaching from the east over the bay. The left side faces south and gets a sustained view of the San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo Bridge, and the South Bay flatlands as you descend over the water. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge, South Bay wetlands and salt ponds, San Francisco Peninsula hills.

The flight from San Diego International Lindbergh Fld (SAN) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

The flight tracks up the California coast. Notable features include the Channel Islands (visible to the right offshore near Santa Barbara), the Santa Ynez Mountains behind Santa Barbara, the Big Sur coastline where the Santa Lucia Range drops into the Pacific, Morro Rock near San Luis Obispo visible as a distinctive coastal landmark, and the Salinas Valley agricultural flatlands on the left side as you approach the Bay Area.