Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Istanbul. The left side wins overall due to the spectacular San Francisco Bay departure view. During the polar routing the left side also faces south toward the Canadian Rockies and later Greenland's ice sheet edge, while the right side faces the Arctic Ocean. At landing the right side is better, but the takeoff and en-route scenery tips the balance to the left.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO departures heading northwest on runways 28L/28R give the left side a direct view over San Francisco Bay, the city skyline, and the Bay Bridge. The right side faces the peninsula and suburban sprawl with far less visual interest. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, Bay Bridge, San Francisco city skyline, Alcatraz Island.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Ataturk Airport approaches from the west over the Sea of Marmara on runway 06, putting the right side facing north toward Istanbul's historic peninsula, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn. The left side faces south over open water with little to see. Notable sights include: Sea of Marmara, Istanbul historic peninsula, Bosphorus Strait, Golden Horn.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 13 to 14 hours nonstop.

The route tracks north over the Pacific, crossing the Gulf of Alaska and the Alaska Range, then follows a polar arc over northern Canada and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. It crosses Greenland's ice sheet near its southern dome, then descends over Iceland's vicinity before crossing Scandinavia and the Baltic states. The flight passes over or near Helsinki and the Gulf of Finland before entering Turkish airspace from the northwest.