Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Francisco to Kahului. The right side wins overall. The SFO departure delivers a genuinely spectacular view of the Bay and city that the left side simply cannot match. Over the open Pacific the views are symmetric, but the right side also gives you a better angle on the Hawaiian Islands as you approach from the northeast, with Haleakala's massive shield volcano visible on the right as you near Maui.

During takeoff from San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Right side for the best views. SFO typically departs westbound over the Bay on runways 28L/28R, then turns south toward the Pacific. The right side gives you a clear look back at the San Francisco Peninsula, the city skyline, and the Bay Bridge as you climb out. You'll also catch the Santa Cruz Mountains receding to the south. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, Bay Bridge, San Francisco city skyline, San Mateo Bridge.

When landing at Kahului (OGG), sit on the Left side for the best views. OGG typically lands on runway 02 from the south or runway 20 from the north. On the common approach from the north on runway 02, the left side faces west toward the West Maui Mountains and the channel between Maui and Molokai. You also get a clear view of Kahului Harbor and the isthmus as you descend. Notable sights include: West Maui Mountains (Mauna Kahalawai), Kahului Harbor, Maui isthmus, Molokai in the distance.

The flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Kahului (OGG) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes.

The flight path crosses the open North Pacific Ocean with no land features visible for roughly 4 hours. The ocean surface shows occasional cloud systems and the deep blue of the Pacific. As you approach Hawaii, the Big Island of Hawaii may be faintly visible to the south on clear days, and the island chain begins to appear on the horizon roughly 100 miles out. Haleakala, Maui's massive dormant shield volcano rising to 10,023 feet, becomes visible well before landing.