Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tbilisi to Istanbul. Right side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise over eastern Turkey, the right side also faces south toward the Pontic Mountains and the Anatolian plateau, offering better terrain views than the left side which looks north over the Black Sea coast with less visual interest at altitude.

During takeoff from Lochini (TBS), sit on the Right side for the best views. Tbilisi airport sits east of the city, and departures heading west toward Istanbul typically use runway 31 (northwest). A right-side seat gives you the Tbilisi city center and the Mtkvari (Kura) River valley as you climb out, plus the Trialeti Range rising to the south. Notable sights include: Tbilisi old town and Narikala Fortress, Mtkvari River valley, Trialeti Range to the south, Tbilisi Sea reservoir to the northeast.

When landing at Ataturk (IST), sit on the Right side for the best views. Istanbul Ataturk airport sits on the European side, and approaches from the east typically come in over the Bosphorus or the Sea of Marmara. A right-side seat on approach from the east gives you the Bosphorus strait, the Golden Horn, and the historic peninsula of old Istanbul directly in view. Notable sights include: Bosphorus Strait, Sea of Marmara, Golden Horn inlet, historic Istanbul peninsula with Sultanahmet district.

The flight from Lochini (TBS) to Ataturk (IST) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses northeastern Turkey over the Pontic Mountains (Doğu Karadeniz Dağları), then the broad Anatolian plateau around Erzincan and Sivas, before descending toward the Marmara region. The Kızılırmak River valley is visible mid-flight, and the transition from rugged mountain terrain to the flat central Anatolian steppe is a notable visual shift around the midpoint.