Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to New York. Left side delivers the two most dramatic moments of the flight: Mount Rainier on departure and the Manhattan skyline plus Jamaica Bay on approach. The right side has some views of the northern Rockies and Great Plains but nothing that competes with those two anchor landmarks.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA primarily departs northbound on runways 16L/16R (heading ~160°) or southbound on 34L/34R (heading ~340°). On a northbound departure, the left side faces east toward the Cascade Range including Mount Rainier, which dominates the skyline at roughly 14,411 feet. On a southbound departure, left still captures Rainier as you bank eastward toward the route. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier (dominant, southeast of airport), Lake Washington (east of Seattle), the Seattle city skyline and Elliott Bay, Puget Sound islands to the west visible briefly before banking.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK's primary arrival runways are 13L/13R (heading ~130°, approaching from the northwest) or 22L/22R (heading ~220°, approaching from the northeast). On the standard 13L/13R approach from the northwest, the left side faces northeast over Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways, and lower Manhattan visible in the distance to the north. On the 22L/22R approach, left faces east over Long Island. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline (north, clearly visible on approach), Jamaica Bay and its wildlife refuge grid of channels, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island, Long Island's south shore barrier beaches.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes westbound headwinds considered; eastbound typically 5 hours to 5 hours 30 minutes.

The route tracks roughly along the 46th to 42nd parallel, crossing the northern Rockies over Montana and Idaho (Bitterroot Range visible), then the high plains of Montana and North Dakota, the Great Lakes region skirting south of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, then over southern Ontario or northern Pennsylvania before descending into the New York metro area. The Missouri River drainage and the flat agricultural checkerboard of the Dakotas and Minnesota are visible at cruising altitude.