Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Vancouver to Phoenix. Left side dominates both ends of the flight with Vancouver's dramatic mountain-and-harbor departure and Phoenix's desert mountain landmarks on approach. The mid-flight view over the Cascades and Oregon interior is also marginally better on the left heading southward.

During takeoff from Vancouver International (YVR), sit on the Left side for the best views. YVR's primary departure runway 26L sends aircraft westward over the Fraser River estuary before turning south. The left side captures the full sweep of downtown Vancouver, Burrard Inlet, and the North Shore mountains including the Garibaldi massif. Right side faces south toward flat delta farmland. Notable sights include: North Shore mountains (Grouse, Seymour, Cypress), Burrard Inlet, downtown Vancouver skyline, Fraser River delta.

When landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. PHX primarily uses runways 26L/26R for westward landings, placing the left side over the city core and Camelback Mountain. The left window shows downtown Phoenix, Tempe Town Lake, and the distinctive desert mountain islands of the Valley. Right side faces south toward less distinctive suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Camelback Mountain, downtown Phoenix skyline, Tempe Town Lake, South Mountain Park.

The flight from Vancouver International (YVR) to Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

The route tracks south-southeast over the Washington Cascades including Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, then crosses the Columbia River Gorge into Oregon. Over northern Oregon and into Nevada the terrain flattens into high desert plateau. The route then crosses into Arizona over the Mojave transition zone before descending into the Phoenix basin. Mount Rainier is the single most dramatic landmark of the cruise portion, visible as an isolated glaciated volcano rising well above surrounding terrain.