Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to London. While the SFO departure on the left is spectacular, the Gatwick landing on the right offers more sustained scenic interest over a longer portion of the flight. The right side captures the Thames estuary approach and London's urban geography during descent, which is visually engaging for the final 90 minutes of the flight.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats offer views of the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands as the aircraft climbs northwestward out of SFO. Right-side views are dominated by the flat South Bay and urban sprawl with less dramatic scenery. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais.

When landing at Gatwick (LGW), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats provide views of the Thames estuary, London's urban sprawl, and the approach path over southern England. The descent into Gatwick typically comes from the east/southeast, making right-side views of the Thames, Kent countryside, and London's landmarks more favorable than left-side views of the North Sea. Notable sights include: Thames estuary, London urban area, Kent countryside, English Channel coast.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Gatwick (LGW) takes Approximately 10 hours 30 minutes to 11 hours.

The flight path crosses the North Atlantic, passing north of Newfoundland and south of Greenland. Over the Atlantic, there are no visible landmarks from cruise altitude. As the aircraft approaches Europe, it will pass over the southern tip of Greenland (ice sheet visible on clear days), then over the North Atlantic waters. Upon reaching European airspace, the flight crosses over Ireland and Wales before descending toward southern England. The most notable midpoint geographic feature is the transition from open ocean to the Irish coastline and then the Welsh mountains (Snowdonia range visible on clear days), followed by the English Midlands and finally the approach to the Thames estuary and London basin.