Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Montpelier. Left side wins both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get the full San Francisco Bay panorama, and on arrival you get the Green Mountains and Montpelier valley. The transcontinental cruise over Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and the Great Lakes region offers occasional views from either side, but the bookend moments strongly favor left.

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. A left-side seat gives you San Francisco Bay, the city skyline, and the Bay Bridge as you climb out and bank northeast. The right side faces the peninsula and suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, Bay Bridge, San Francisco city skyline, Marin Headlands.

When landing at Edward F Knapp State (MPV), sit on the Left side for the best views. MPV's runway 17 arrival (heading south) puts the Green Mountains of Vermont on the left side, including the Montpelier area valley and the Winooski River corridor. The right side faces mostly flat farmland toward the Connecticut River valley. Notable sights include: Green Mountains, Winooski River valley, Montpelier state capitol area, Worcester Range.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Edward F Knapp State (MPV) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

The flight tracks roughly northeast across the Sierra Nevada, then over the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah, the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City, the Wyoming high plains, the Black Hills of South Dakota, then across Minnesota and the Great Lakes region, before descending through upstate New York and into Vermont. The Wasatch Front and Salt Lake City are particularly striking from altitude, and the Great Lakes shoreline of Lake Erie or Lake Ontario may be visible depending on the exact routing.