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Window Seat

New York → Las Vegas

JFK–LAS · John F. Kennedy International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport

Best bet

Either side

Both sides workThe two sides come out close to level.

Both sides have something going for them, and the totals come out close enough that picking one would be a coin flip with extra steps.

Flight paths move around. Treat this as the better bet, not a promise.

What you might see

In flight order, with distance measured from the representative route.

JFK to LAS: where each landmark sits relative to the routeA diagram of the representative route running left to right, with the departure airport at the left and the arrival airport at the right. Landmarks on the left side of the aircraft are plotted above the route line and landmarks on the right side below it, each at its distance from the route. The numbered list below this diagram carries the same information as text.JFKLASLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678910
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 57 miles); the shaded ends are the 40-mile zones around each airport where the runway in use decides the view. Numbers match the list below. Hollow markers didn't count toward the recommendation.

  1. Manhattan

    Either sideEarly5 mi off the route

    Manhattan sits close enough to JFK that the runway in use and the procedure of the day decide whether it shows up at all.

    Runway dependent

  2. Pikes Peak

    RightThree quarters12 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Pikes Peak sits roughly 12 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  3. Mount Elbert

    RightThree quarters50 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Mount Elbert, about 50 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. San Juan Mountains

    Either sideThree quarters4 mi off the route

    San Juan Mountains passes almost directly beneath about three quarters of the way, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

  5. Canyonlands

    RightNear the end38 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Canyonlands sits roughly 38 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  6. Monument Valley

    LeftNear the end34 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Monument Valley, about 34 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  7. Lake Powell

    LeftNear the end13 mi off the route

    Lake Powell is about 13 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Good possibility

  8. Grand Canyon

    LeftNear the end57 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Grand Canyon sits roughly 57 miles to the left.

    Distant possibility

  9. Zion National Park

    RightNear the end31 mi off the route

    Look right late in the flight for Zion National Park, about 31 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  10. Lake Mead

    Either sideNear the end4 mi off the route

    Lake Mead passes almost directly beneath late in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

The sun

Flying soon? Add your date and departure time and we'll work out where the sun should be, and which side gets less of it.

Airport codes or city names. SEA, Seattle, and Seattle-Tacoma all work.

Skip the date and you still get the landmark answer. Add it and we work out where the sun will be, using the departure airport's local time.

The route we used

2,243 mi
Great-circle distance
276°
Course out of JFK
249°
Course into LAS
7
Landmarks that counted

That is the shortest path between the two airports, used as a representative corridor rather than a flight plan. The first and last 40 miles are treated as uncertain, because that part of the flight is shaped by the runway in use and the published departure or arrival procedure. Anything in those zones is listed and marked, never counted toward the recommendation.

Left and right, from where?

Left and right are from your perspective sitting in the cabin, facing the front of the aircraft. Seat letters are not a reliable guide to which side you are on, because aircraft are configured differently.

Why this isn't guaranteed

Flights don't follow the same path every day. Runway configuration, weather deviations, traffic, and air traffic control all move the track around, and none of it is knowable in advance. We also have nothing to say about cloud cover, which is the other thing standing between you and Mount Rainier. The full method.

Flying the other way?

Las Vegas → New YorkEither side

Calculated from scratch, not by flipping this one. The landmarks arrive in the opposite order, the sun is somewhere else entirely, and the answer changes with them.

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