Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Jose to Quito. While takeoff favors the right for the Cordillera de Talamanca, the landing view of Pichincha and Cotopaxi volcanoes from the left is more dramatic and geographically significant. The left side captures the defining geography of Ecuador's Andes approach.

During takeoff from Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Right side for the best views. SJO typically departs westbound (runways 05 or 23, with westbound departures favoring the latter). Right-side seats face toward the Pacific coastal plains and the Cordillera de Talamanca, the dramatic mountain range immediately south of the airport. Left seats show the Central Valley interior. Notable sights include: Cordillera de Talamanca (mountain range rising to 12,500 ft, visible as a sharp ridge wall), Pacific coastal plains stretching westward toward the Gulf of Nicoya, Meseta Central (the high plateau the airport sits on), and Lake Arenal in the distance to the northwest.

When landing at Mariscal Sucre International (UIO), sit on the Left side for the best views. UIO approaches from the north on runway 28L/28R (westbound heading). Left-side seats face the Andes peaks surrounding Quito—specifically Pichincha volcano (15,728 ft) and Cotopaxi (19,347 ft) to the south and southeast. Right seats see the northern approach corridor over lower terrain. Notable sights include: Pichincha volcano (the dominant peak immediately south of Quito, often snow-capped), Cotopaxi volcano (visible as a distant white cone to the southeast on clear days), the Interandean Valley (the high plateau at ~9,350 ft where Quito sits), and the city of Quito itself sprawling across the valley floor.

The flight from Juan Santamaria International (SJO) to Mariscal Sucre International (UIO) takes Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.

The flight crosses from Costa Rica's Pacific-facing western cordillera into the Panamanian isthmus, then descends into Colombia's Cauca Valley before climbing again to cross the Ecuadorian Andes. The Río Cauca and Río Magdalena valleys are visible on clear days. The terrain transitions from tropical Pacific slopes to high-altitude Andean valleys. Weather permitting, the Cordillera Occidental (Western Andes) of Colombia appears as a distant ridge line in the midpoint of the flight.