Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Paris. The left seat wins overall. The San Francisco Bay departure is genuinely spectacular and lasts several minutes. On the polar route the left side also faces south toward Greenland's ice sheet and the Canadian Arctic coast during the mid-flight hours, while the right side faces into darkness or featureless ocean. The Paris arrival on the right is excellent but brief, and the left seat still gets reasonable views of the Seine from the opposite bank.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO's primary departure runways (28L/28R) head west over the bay before turning north. A left/south-facing seat gives you San Francisco Bay, the city skyline, and the Peninsula as you climb out. The right side faces open Pacific almost immediately. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, SF city skyline and downtown, San Mateo Bridge, Peninsula hills.

When landing at Le Bourget (LBG), sit on the Right side for the best views. Le Bourget's primary landing approach from the west on runway 27 puts you on a heading that brings the right side over central Paris. The right seat gives clear views of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower district, and the dense Haussmann grid of Paris as you descend through 3,000-5,000 feet. Notable sights include: Seine River bends through Paris, Eiffel Tower area, La Défense business district towers, dense Paris urban grid.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Le Bourget (LBG) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.

The great circle route tracks north over the Sierra Nevada, then across southern Canada and Hudson Bay, over the Labrador coast, across the southern tip of Greenland's ice sheet, over Iceland or just south of it, then across Scotland and England before descending into northern France. Greenland's ice cap and coastal fjords are the most visually dramatic mid-flight feature, visible for roughly 30-45 minutes in daylight conditions.