Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Seoul. Left side wins both the departure and arrival phases. During the long transoceanic cruise over the North Pacific, neither side offers significant visual advantage, but the left side delivers the better views at both ends of the flight.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO typically departs northwest on runways 28L/28R, then turns north over the Bay. The left side captures San Francisco city, the Bay Bridge, and the downtown skyline before the aircraft heads out over the Golden Gate and Marin Headlands. Right side gets mostly the Peninsula and South Bay suburbs. Notable sights include: San Francisco downtown skyline, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge.

When landing at Incheon International (ICN), sit on the Left side for the best views. ICN typically lands from the east on runways 33L/33R or 15L/15R depending on winds. On the common northbound approach over the Yellow Sea, the left side faces east toward Seoul's Han River, the city sprawl, and Bukhansan mountain ridgeline in the distance. Right side faces west over open Yellow Sea water. Notable sights include: Han River and Seoul city grid, Bukhansan mountain ridgeline, Incheon city and port, Yellow Sea tidal flats.

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

The great circle route arcs north over the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Island chain, where individual volcanic islands are occasionally visible on clear days. The flight then crosses the Kamchatka Peninsula with its snow-capped volcanic peaks including Klyuchevskaya Sopka, before descending over the Sea of Japan toward the Korean Peninsula. The central portion of the route is open North Pacific Ocean with occasional cloud systems and, at high latitudes, possible aurora borealis visibility on night flights.