Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to Mexico City. The right side wins both takeoff and landing. At takeoff you get Puget Sound and the Olympics; on landing you get the Valley of Mexico with Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. The left side offers the Cascades at departure (including Rainier) which is compelling, but the volcanic horizon on approach to MEX is one of the most dramatic airport approaches in the Americas and tips the balance right.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Right side for the best views. SEA primarily uses runways 16L/16R for southbound departures, meaning the aircraft heads south-southeast. The right side faces west toward Puget Sound, Vashon Island, and the Olympic Peninsula across the water. This gives a sweeping view of the Sound and the distant Olympic Mountains. Notable sights include: Puget Sound, Vashon Island, Olympic Mountains (Olympic Peninsula), Commencement Bay near Tacoma.

When landing at Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX), sit on the Right side for the best views. Mexico City's AICM typically uses runways 05R/23L or 05L/23R. Arrivals from the north commonly land on runway 05, approaching from the northwest. The right side faces northeast toward the Sierra Nevada volcanoes — Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl — which are unmistakably visible on approach as the aircraft descends over the Valley of Mexico. Notable sights include: Popocatépetl volcano, Iztaccíhuatl volcano, Lake Texcoco remnant (Lago Nabor Carrillo), urban grid of Mexico City.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to Licenciado Benito Juarez International (MEX) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

The route tracks south-southeast over Oregon's Cascade Range (including Mt. Shasta visible from either side), then over the Central Valley of California, crossing the Baja California Peninsula or the Gulf of California depending on routing, then over the Sierra Madre Occidental of northwestern Mexico before descending toward the Mexican Plateau and the Valley of Mexico. The Gulf of California — a long narrow blue slash — is a distinctive midpoint landmark visible from both sides.