Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Singapore to New York. The JFK arrival on the left side delivers one of the most iconic urban approaches in aviation — the full New York Harbor panorama with Manhattan on the horizon is hard to beat. The Singapore departure on the right is excellent but shorter in duration. Over the long transoceanic flight, the left side also catches better views of the Himalayas and Central Asian terrain on the polar-adjacent routing.

During takeoff from Singapore Changi (SIN), sit on the Right side for the best views. Changi typically departs westbound on runway 02L/20R or 02C/20C. A westbound departure on runway 20 heading south then turning northwest puts the right side facing the Singapore city skyline, Marina Bay, and the southern islands. The dense urban core with its distinctive supertrees and waterfront is clearly visible on the right as the aircraft banks north. Notable sights include: Marina Bay Sands and CBD skyline, Sentosa Island and the southern anchorage, Johor Strait and southern Malaysia coastline, Riau Islands to the south.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK arrivals typically come in from the east or northeast over the Atlantic, landing on runway 31L/31R heading northwest or on 22L/22R heading southwest. On the standard approach from the east, the left side faces Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the full New York Harbor panorama. The right side sees mostly Queens residential neighborhoods and Long Island. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline including Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Upper New York Bay and Staten Island, Brooklyn waterfront and Coney Island.

The flight from Singapore Changi (SIN) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 18-19 hours nonstop (one of the longest commercial routes in the world, operated by Singapore Airlines).

The great circle route from Singapore to JFK tracks northwest over the South China Sea, across southern China and the Tibetan Plateau where the Himalayas and Karakoram ranges are visible, then over Central Asia, Russia's western Siberian plain, the Arctic, Greenland's ice sheet, Labrador and the Canadian Maritime provinces, and finally the northeastern US seaboard. The Tibetan Plateau at roughly 15,000 feet average elevation is a dramatic visual feature mid-flight, and Greenland's vast ice cap with its fractured coastal glaciers is distinctive on the polar segment.