Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Barcelona. Left side wins both the departure over San Francisco Bay and the arrival into Barcelona's coastline. During the transatlantic cruise at 35,000 feet over Greenland and the North Atlantic, neither side has a decisive advantage, but the bookend views at both ends of the flight are clearly superior on the left.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically departs northward on runways 28L/28R heading west then turning, or on runways 01L/01R heading north. On the dominant westward departures over the bay, the left side gives you San Francisco city, the Bay Bridge, and the peninsula. On northward departures, left side captures the city skyline and Marin headlands across the Golden Gate. Notable sights include: San Francisco skyline and downtown, San Francisco Bay and Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands, Peninsula cities stretching south toward San Jose.

When landing at Barcelona (BCN), sit on the Left side for the best views. Barcelona El Prat typically uses runway 25L/25R for arrivals from the east, approaching from the Mediterranean over the sea before turning inland. The left side on final approach gives a direct view of the Barcelona coastline, the city grid, and the Montjuic hill. On runway 07 arrivals from the west, left side still captures the city and coast as you cross over. Notable sights include: Barcelona city grid and coastline, Montjuic hill and port area, Mediterranean Sea and harbor, Llobregat river delta flatlands.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Barcelona (BCN) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The great circle route takes you north over the Sierra Nevada, then across southern Canada and Hudson Bay, out over the North Atlantic, clipping the southern tip of Greenland where the ice sheet and glaciated fjords are visible on clear days, then across Ireland and southern England, over the French Pyrenees, and down into Catalonia. The Pyrenees mountain range is a notable feature on descent, visible as a snow-capped ridge running east-west along the French-Spanish border.