Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to Santa Ana. The right side wins overall because the takeoff view over Puget Sound and the Olympics is genuinely spectacular, and during the cruise south the right side tracks closer to the Cascades and eventually the California coast. The landing view on the left is good but brief and largely urban.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Right side for the best views. SEA typically departs south on runways 16L/16R, putting the right side facing west over Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. You get a clear view of the sound's waterways and the Olympic Mountains across the water as the aircraft climbs and banks south. Notable sights include: Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, Vashon Island, Tacoma Narrows.

When landing at John Wayne Arpt Orange Co (SNA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SNA typically lands on runway 20L/20R heading south, meaning the left side faces east toward the Santa Ana Mountains and Saddleback Mountain. On approach over Orange County, the left side also captures the urban grid of Irvine and the distant San Bernardino Mountains. Notable sights include: Saddleback Mountain (Santiago Peak), Santa Ana Mountains, Irvine urban grid, San Bernardino Mountains on the horizon.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to John Wayne Arpt Orange Co (SNA) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

The flight tracks roughly south-southeast over the Oregon Cascades including Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson, then over the Klamath Mountains and into California over the Sacramento Valley. Further south it crosses the Tehachapi Mountains before descending into the Los Angeles Basin. Mount Shasta is visible to the right side on clear days as a massive isolated volcanic cone.