Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Lisbon. The left side wins overall due to the spectacular San Francisco departure views. The transatlantic cruise is largely over open ocean with little to see on either side, and the Lisbon arrival advantage on the right is real but shorter-lived. If you want one side for the whole flight, left gives you the unmissable Golden Gate and Bay departure sequence.

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. Left side gives you San Francisco city, the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and Mount Tamalpais as you climb out over the water. The right side faces south toward the peninsula suburbs with far less visual interest. Notable sights include: Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco downtown skyline, Marin Headlands, San Francisco Bay.

When landing at Lisboa (LIS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Lisbon's runway 03 arrival from the northeast brings you in over the Tagus estuary from the north. The right side faces west and southwest, giving you the Tagus River mouth, the 25 de Abril Bridge, and the city of Lisbon spread across its hills as you descend. Left side faces inland toward flat Ribatejo farmland. Notable sights include: Tagus River estuary, 25 de Abril Bridge, Lisbon city hills, Cristo Rei statue on south bank.

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

The great circle route from SFO to LIS tracks northeast over northern California, then across southern Canada near Newfoundland, then east-southeast across the North Atlantic. Notable features include the Sierra Nevada visible briefly after departure, the Canadian Maritime provinces and Newfoundland coastline at roughly the one-third mark, then open North Atlantic ocean for the majority of the flight, followed by the Iberian Peninsula coast as you approach Portugal.