Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Albany. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. During the transcontinental cruise, the left side also faces south, giving views of the Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Rocky Mountain ranges as distant ridgelines, while the right side looks north into less dramatic terrain over Nevada and Wyoming.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO's primary departure runways (28L/28R) head westward over the Bay before turning. A left-side seat gives you San Francisco Bay, the city skyline, and the Bay Bridge as the aircraft banks northeast. The Golden Gate and Marin Headlands are also visible to the northwest on the left side during the turn. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, Bay Bridge, San Francisco city skyline, Marin Headlands.

When landing at Albany International (ALB), sit on the Left side for the best views. Albany airport sits just west of the Hudson River, and typical approaches from the west or southwest on runway 01/19 put the Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains on the left side. The left seat gives a clear view down the Hudson corridor and the city of Albany along the river's western bank. Notable sights include: Hudson River, Albany city center, Catskill Mountains, Adirondack foothills.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Albany International (ALB) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes.

After departing SFO, the route crosses the Sierra Nevada (visible as a major snow-capped range over central California), then the Great Basin desert of Nevada and Utah, the Rocky Mountains over Colorado or Wyoming, the Great Plains of Nebraska and Iowa, the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes region south of Lake Erie, and finally the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania before descending into the Hudson Valley.