About This Route
Which side of the plane should I sit on flying from Schwechat (VIE) to Los Angeles International (LAX)?
Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Vienna to Los Angeles. While the left side wins at departure for Vienna city views, the right side delivers the more dramatic and sustained scenery: over the Alps during the early cruise phase, and then the iconic Los Angeles Basin and Santa Monica Mountains on approach. Right side also catches the Canadian Rockies and Sierra Nevada on the polar routing.
What can I see during takeoff from Schwechat in Vienna?
During takeoff from Schwechat (VIE), sit on the Left side for the best views. Vienna Schwechat typically departs westbound on runway 29, so the left (south) side gives you a clear view back over Vienna's historic center, the Danube, and the Wienerwald hills. The right side faces north toward flat agricultural plains with little of interest. Notable sights include: Vienna city center and Ringstrasse, Danube River and Alte Donau oxbow, Wienerwald (Vienna Woods) forested hills, Neusiedler See (Lake Neusiedl) visible to the southeast on clear days.
What can I see when landing at Los Angeles International in Los Angeles?
When landing at Los Angeles International (LAX), sit on the Right side for the best views. LAX approaches from the east on runway 24L/24R heading west, so the right (north) side gives you the Santa Monica Mountains, the Hollywood Hills, and the Los Angeles Basin spreading out below. The left side faces south over flat suburban sprawl toward Long Beach and the harbor. Notable sights include: Santa Monica Mountains and Griffith Park ridge, Hollywood Hills with urban grid below, Los Angeles Basin city grid, Pacific Ocean coastline at Santa Monica and Venice Beach.
How long is the flight from Vienna to Los Angeles?
The flight from Schwechat (VIE) to Los Angeles International (LAX) takes Approximately 11 to 12 hours.
What does the Vienna to Los Angeles flight path pass over?
The route follows a polar great-circle track: departing over the Austrian Alps and Bavaria, crossing southern Germany and France, then the North Atlantic near Greenland's southern tip, over Hudson Bay or northern Canada, across the Canadian Rockies in Alberta and British Columbia, the Columbia Plateau, Sierra Nevada range in California, and finally descending over the Mojave Desert and San Bernardino Mountains into the LA Basin