Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tampa to New York. While the right side wins at takeoff for Tampa Bay views, the left side delivers the more dramatic payoff on arrival with the Manhattan skyline and Jamaica Bay approach. For the cruise portion heading northeast, the left side also tracks closer to the Georgia and Carolina coastlines and offers glimpses of the Outer Banks of North Carolina as distinctive barrier island chains. The landing view into JFK from the left is one of the more iconic urban approaches in commercial aviation.

During takeoff from Tampa International (TPA), sit on the Right side for the best views. TPA typically departs on runway 19L/R heading south before turning northeast, or departs runway 1 heading north. On the dominant northbound departure, the right side gives you Tampa Bay spreading out to the south and east, with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge clearly visible as a distinctive cable-stayed span crossing the bay mouth. Downtown Tampa's skyline also appears briefly to the right before the turn northeast. Notable sights include: Tampa Bay, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, downtown Tampa skyline, St. Petersburg peninsula.

When landing at John F Kennedy International (JFK), sit on the Left side for the best views. JFK arrivals typically come in from the southwest on runway 31L/R or from the east on runway 22L/R. On the common westbound approach over Jamaica Bay, the left side gives you the Manhattan skyline in the distance to the northwest, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and Jamaica Bay's distinctive wetland geometry directly below. The right side faces south toward the Atlantic, which is comparatively featureless. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Jamaica Bay, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Long Island shoreline.

The flight from Tampa International (TPA) to John F Kennedy International (JFK) takes Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 10 minutes.

The flight tracks northeast over central Florida, then crosses Georgia and the Carolinas. Notable features include the Georgia coastline and Sea Islands near Savannah, the Cape Fear River delta in North Carolina, and the Outer Banks barrier islands — a long narrow chain of sand visible from altitude as thin pale strips separating the Atlantic from Pamlico Sound. The Chesapeake Bay appears in the final hour as a broad estuary, and the New Jersey Pine Barrens — a large dark forested expanse — are visible just before descent into the New York metro area.