Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from San Jose to Toronto. While takeoff favors the right for volcanic scenery, the landing view from the left—Lake Ontario and Toronto's waterfront—is more visually distinctive and memorable. For a long transatlantic-style flight, the landing experience typically outweighs the departure.

During takeoff from Juan Santamaria International (SJO), sit on the Right side for the best views. SJO typically departs eastbound (Runway 32) or westbound (Runway 14). Right-side seats on eastbound departures offer immediate views of the Central Valley's volcanic peaks and the Caribbean slope terrain. Westbound departures favor left seats, but eastbound is more common for northbound traffic to North America. Notable sights include: Irazú Volcano (3,432m, visible as a distant peak to the southeast), Poás Volcano (2,708m, to the north), Central Valley floor with San José sprawl, Caribbean mountain ridge to the east.

When landing at Buttonville Muni (YKZ), sit on the Left side for the best views. Buttonville (YKZ) is a small municipal airport north of Toronto. Approach vectors typically come from the south or southwest. Left-side seats on descent into the Greater Toronto Area offer views of Lake Ontario's northern shore, the Toronto waterfront, and the city's downtown core before final approach. Notable sights include: Lake Ontario (massive freshwater body dominating the view), Toronto waterfront and harbor, Scarborough Bluffs (distinctive eroded cliffs on the east shore), Greater Toronto Area urban sprawl extending north.

The flight from Juan Santamaria International (SJO) to Buttonville Muni (YKZ) takes Approximately 4 hours 45 minutes to 5 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Gulf of Mexico (visible as open water and occasional weather systems), then the southeastern United States (Mississippi River valley, Appalachian ridges visible on clear days), before entering the Great Lakes region. Over the Gulf, scattered thunderstorms are common. The Appalachian chain appears as a series of parallel ridges running northeast-southwest. As the flight approaches the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron become visible, with the Canadian Shield's forested terrain appearing as dark green landscape north of the lakes.