Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Calgary to Denver. The right side delivers the Canadian Rockies during the most dramatic phase of the flight — the climbout from Calgary — when the Banff and Kananaskis peaks are at their most impressive and close. The left side gets the Colorado Front Range on descent into Denver, which is also excellent, but the Canadian Rockies view during climbout is the highlight of this route. Right side wins overall for the takeoff spectacle, though switching to left for the Denver approach is worth it if you can.

During takeoff from Calgary International (YYC), sit on the Right side for the best views. Departing YYC southbound on runway 17, the Canadian Rockies — including the Banff/Kananaskis Front Range — sit to the west, which is the right side of the aircraft. Calgary's downtown skyline and the Bow River are visible briefly on the left before the Rockies dominate the right window during climbout. Notable sights include: Canadian Rockies Front Range (Banff/Kananaskis peaks), Bow River valley, Calgary downtown skyline, Elbow River confluence.

When landing at Denver International (DEN), sit on the Left side for the best views. DEN sits on the flat plains east of Denver, and aircraft typically approach from the north on runway 35L/34R or from the south. On a northbound approach from the south or a standard ILS approach, the Rocky Mountain Front Range including Longs Peak, Mount Evans, and the entire Colorado Front Range is visible on the LEFT (west) side of the aircraft. The Denver metro grid and the brown plains are on the right. Notable sights include: Colorado Front Range (Longs Peak, Mount Evans, Pikes Peak to the south), Denver downtown skyline, South Platte River, Rocky Mountain National Park peaks on the horizon.

The flight from Calgary International (YYC) to Denver International (DEN) takes Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.

The flight crosses the Alberta-Montana border over flat prairie and ranchland, then tracks south over the Montana Hi-Line and into Wyoming. The Sweetgrass Hills in Montana are visible as isolated buttes on the plains. Over Wyoming, the Laramie Range and the high Wyoming basin — a vast, semi-arid plateau — are visible below. The North Platte River drainage appears as a faint silver line in the brown terrain. As the flight descends into Colorado, the Colorado Front Range begins to build on the western horizon, with the distinctive flat-topped profile of the Palmer Divide visible below before Denver appears.