Calgary to London flight path: YYC to LHR

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Calgary to London. The left side wins because it captures the dramatic Canadian Rockies right at departure and, on this polar-ish great-circle route, likely views of southern Greenland's ice cap and fjord coastline during cruise — features far more striking than the mostly open-ocean and prairie scenery on the right, even accounting for the nice London approach.

During takeoff from Calgary International (YYC), sit on the Left side for the best views. Runway 35 departures from YYC climb due north, putting the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies directly on the left side of the aircraft as Calgary's foothills and the Bow Valley fall away below. This is a dramatic, mountain-dominated departure that the east-facing right side simply doesn't get. Notable sights include: Canadian Rocky Mountain front ranges, Bow River valley, Kananaskis Country peaks, foothill ridgelines west of Calgary.

When landing at Heathrow (LHR), sit on the Right side for the best views. On the typical westerly approach into Heathrow, arriving aircraft cross over east and central London before turning onto final approach, putting the City of London skyline, Canary Wharf, and the Thames on the right (north-facing) side. The left side mostly shows the less distinctive suburbs of south London. Notable sights include: River Thames, Canary Wharf towers, City of London skyline, London Eye area near the river bends.

The flight from Calgary International (YYC) to Heathrow (LHR) takes 8h 10m.

Saskatchewan prairie, Hudson Bay coastline, Baffin Island region, Davis Strait, southern Greenland's ice cap and fjord-lined coast, open North Atlantic near Iceland