Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Tampa to San Francisco. The right side wins overall. The Tampa Bay departure view is genuinely spectacular and hard to beat, and during the cruise the right side faces south, giving you views of the Gulf of Mexico coastline during the early climb, the Texas Hill Country, and the Sonoran Desert landscape. The SFO landing view is slightly better on the left, but the takeoff and cruise advantages on the right outweigh it for the full journey.

During takeoff from Tampa International (TPA), sit on the Right side for the best views. TPA typically departs northwest on runway 19L/01R or uses runway 36/18 oriented north-south. Climbing out northwestward, the right side gives you a clear view back over Tampa Bay, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, and the St. Petersburg peninsula. The left side faces inland toward suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Tampa Bay, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, St. Petersburg peninsula, Hillsborough Bay.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Left side for the best views. SFO primarily lands on runways 28L/28R approaching from the east over the Bay, or on 19L/19R from the north. On the common 28L/28R approach heading west, the left side faces south and gives you the full panorama of San Francisco Bay, the San Mateo Bridge, and the South Bay. The right side faces north toward the city and the Golden Gate but is partially obscured by the fuselage angle on final. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge, South Bay salt evaporation ponds, Peninsula cities.

The flight from Tampa International (TPA) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 5 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes westbound.

The flight path typically tracks northwest over the Florida Panhandle, then crosses the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge or New Orleans, continues over Louisiana and Texas passing north of Houston, crosses the Texas Hill Country and Edwards Plateau, then traverses New Mexico and Arizona over the Sonoran Desert and Mogollon Rim, crosses the Colorado River near Needles, passes over the Mojave Desert, and descends over the Central Valley of California before approaching SFO from the east over the Bay.