Shadefare

Routes

Which side of the plane gets the sun?

Verdicts below are pre-computed with the same astronomy as the live calculator: for each route we sample the sun's position along the flight path across seasons and departure times, then name the sunny side and the shady side. Pick your route — or run your exact flight for the minute-by-minute picture, and see how it works for the method.

US transcontinental

JFK → LAXNew York to Los AngelesLAX → JFKLos Angeles to New YorkJFK → SFONew York to San FranciscoSFO → JFKSan Francisco to New YorkBOS → LAXBoston to Los AngelesLAX → BOSLos Angeles to BostonBOS → SFOBoston to San FranciscoSFO → BOSSan Francisco to BostonEWR → LAXNewark to Los AngelesLAX → EWRLos Angeles to NewarkJFK → LHRNew York to LondonLHR → JFKLondon to New YorkBOS → LHRBoston to LondonLHR → BOSLondon to BostonJFK → CDGNew York to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → JFKParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to New YorkJFK → FCONew York to RomeFCO → JFKRome to New YorkJFK → KEFNew York to ReykjavíkKEF → JFKReykjavík to New YorkEWR → LISNewark to LisbonLIS → EWRLisbon to NewarkJFK → DXBNew York to DubaiDXB → JFKDubai to New York

Hawaii

LAX → HNLLos Angeles to Honolulu, OahuHNL → LAXHonolulu, Oahu to Los AngelesSFO → HNLSan Francisco to Honolulu, OahuHNL → SFOHonolulu, Oahu to San FranciscoSEA → HNLSeattle to Honolulu, OahuHNL → SEAHonolulu, Oahu to SeattleDEN → HNLDenver to Honolulu, OahuHNL → DENHonolulu, Oahu to DenverLAX → OGGLos Angeles to KahuluiOGG → LAXKahului to Los Angeles

Transatlantic

ORD → LHRChicago to LondonLHR → ORDLondon to ChicagoLAX → LHRLos Angeles to LondonLHR → LAXLondon to Los AngelesATL → CDGAtlanta to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → ATLParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to AtlantaMIA → MADMiami to MadridMAD → MIAMadrid to Miami

Transpacific & long-haul

LAX → NRTLos Angeles to NaritaNRT → LAXNarita to Los AngelesSFO → HNDSan Francisco to TokyoHND → SFOTokyo to San FranciscoSEA → ICNSeattle to SeoulICN → SEASeoul to SeattleLAX → SYDLos Angeles to Sydney (Mascot)SYD → LAXSydney (Mascot) to Los AngelesSFO → SINSan Francisco to SingaporeSIN → SFOSingapore to San Francisco

More US routes

ORD → DENChicago to DenverDEN → ORDDenver to ChicagoDEN → SEADenver to SeattleSEA → DENSeattle to DenverDFW → LAXDallas-Fort Worth to Los AngelesLAX → DFWLos Angeles to Dallas-Fort WorthATL → MIAAtlanta to MiamiMIA → ATLMiami to Atlanta

Frequently asked

Which side of the plane should I sit on to avoid the sun?

The side facing away from the sun for most of your flight — and that depends on your route, date, and departure time. As a daytime rule of thumb in the Northern Hemisphere the sun sits to the south: flying west, the south side is on your left, so sit on the right for shade; flying east, sit on the left. Morning and evening departures bend those rules, which is why we compute the actual geometry for your flight.

Is seat A on the left or right side of the plane?

Seat A is on the left side, facing the front of the aircraft. Window letters start at A on the left and increase to the right — the right-side window is F on most narrowbodies and K on many widebodies.

Which side of the plane is best for sunrise or sunset views?

The opposite of the shade advice: sit on the sun side. Broadly, that means the east-facing side around sunrise and the west-facing side around sunset, adjusted for your heading — our calculator shows exactly where the sun sits along your route.

Does the sun side matter on a plane?

On daytime flights, yes: the sun side runs brighter and warmer, low sun can make screens unreadable, and at cruise altitude UV-A still passes through the windows. On night flights it does not matter at all — and we tell you when your flight is one.

Do these verdicts account for the actual flight path?

Route pages use the great-circle path, which is what most flights approximate. The live calculator additionally refines with real filed routes where available. Weather and day-of routing changes can always shift the picture — treat every verdict as a strong estimate, not a guarantee.