Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to Istanbul. The right side wins overall because the IST approach over the Sea of Marmara with the Bosphorus and Istanbul spread across the frame is one of the most geographically dramatic urban approaches in the world. The takeoff left-side views of Rainier are excellent but shorter in duration. The right side also captures the Greenland ice sheet edge and parts of Scandinavia during the polar routing.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA typically departs north on runway 16R/34L or south on 16L/34R. Northbound departures banking left give the left side a direct view of Mount Rainier to the southeast and Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle to the north. Southbound departures on 16L/16R give the left side views of Rainier and the Cascades as the aircraft climbs east. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier (14,411 ft, dominant snow-capped volcano to the southeast), Elliott Bay and downtown Seattle skyline, Lake Washington to the east, Puget Sound stretching south.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ataturk Airport (now largely replaced by Istanbul Airport but historically IST) sits on the European side of Istanbul. Aircraft typically approach from the west or northwest over the Sea of Marmara on runway 06/24. A right-side seat on approach from the west gives views of the Bosphorus Strait, the historic peninsula of old Istanbul with its dense skyline, and the Asian shore of Istanbul across the water. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait separating Europe and Asia, historic Istanbul peninsula with dense urban skyline, Sea of Marmara to the south, Prince Islands visible as small dots in the Marmara.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 12 to 13 hours nonstop, though many routings connect via European hubs making total travel 14 to 18 hours.

The great circle route from SEA to IST tracks northeast over British Columbia and Alberta, crosses Hudson Bay or the Canadian Arctic depending on winds, passes over southern Greenland's ice sheet edge, crosses the North Atlantic near Iceland, transits Scandinavia or the British Isles, crosses central Europe over Germany or Austria, then descends through the Balkans toward Turkey. Key features include the Canadian Rockies shortly after departure, the vast boreal forest of central Canada, Greenland's glaciated coastline, the Norwegian fjord coast, the Alps visible as a white ridge in the distance over central Europe, and the Aegean Sea on descent into Istanbul.