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. Most route pages also map what you'll see out the window — which side gets the canyons, coastlines, and city lights, and when. Pick your route — or run your exact flight for the minute-by-minute picture, and see how it works for the method.

Hawaii

US transcontinental

JFK → LAXNew York to Los AngelesLAX → JFKLos Angeles to New YorkJFK → SFONew York to San FranciscoSFO → JFKSan Francisco to New YorkJFK → SEANew York to SeattleSEA → JFKSeattle to New YorkJFK → LASNew York to Las VegasLAS → JFKLas Vegas to New YorkBOS → LAXBoston to Los AngelesLAX → BOSLos Angeles to BostonBOS → SFOBoston to San FranciscoSFO → BOSSan Francisco to BostonBOS → SEABoston to SeattleSEA → BOSSeattle to BostonEWR → LAXNewark to Los AngelesLAX → EWRLos Angeles to NewarkEWR → SFONewark to San FranciscoSFO → EWRSan Francisco to NewarkIAD → LAXDulles to Los AngelesLAX → IADLos Angeles to DullesIAD → SFODulles to San FranciscoSFO → IADSan Francisco to DullesLGA → DENNew York to DenverDEN → LGADenver to New YorkMIA → LAXMiami to Los AngelesLAX → MIALos Angeles to MiamiMIA → SFOMiami to San FranciscoSFO → MIASan Francisco to MiamiATL → LAXAtlanta to Los AngelesLAX → ATLLos Angeles to AtlantaATL → DENAtlanta to DenverDEN → ATLDenver to AtlantaORD → DENChicago to DenverDEN → ORDDenver to ChicagoORD → LAXChicago to Los AngelesLAX → ORDLos Angeles to ChicagoORD → SFOChicago to San FranciscoSFO → ORDSan Francisco to ChicagoORD → PHXChicago to PhoenixPHX → ORDPhoenix to ChicagoORD → SEAChicago to SeattleSEA → ORDSeattle to ChicagoDEN → MSPDenver to MinneapolisMSP → DENMinneapolis to DenverDEN → AUSDenver to AustinAUS → DENAustin to DenverDFW → LAXDallas-Fort Worth to Los AngelesLAX → DFWLos Angeles to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → DENDallas-Fort Worth to DenverDEN → DFWDenver to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → PHXDallas-Fort Worth to PhoenixPHX → DFWPhoenix to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → SFODallas-Fort Worth to San FranciscoSFO → DFWSan Francisco to Dallas-Fort Worth

US & Caribbean

LAX → SFOLos Angeles to San FranciscoSFO → LAXSan Francisco to Los AngelesLAX → LASLos Angeles to Las VegasLAS → LAXLas Vegas to Los AngelesLAX → PHXLos Angeles to PhoenixPHX → LAXPhoenix to Los AngelesLAX → SEALos Angeles to SeattleSEA → LAXSeattle to Los AngelesATL → MCOAtlanta to OrlandoMCO → ATLOrlando to AtlantaATL → MIAAtlanta to MiamiMIA → ATLMiami to AtlantaATL → LGAAtlanta to New YorkLGA → ATLNew York to AtlantaATL → DFWAtlanta to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → ATLDallas-Fort Worth to AtlantaATL → ORDAtlanta to ChicagoORD → ATLChicago to AtlantaATL → BOSAtlanta to BostonBOS → ATLBoston to AtlantaLGA → ORDNew York to ChicagoORD → LGAChicago to New YorkLGA → MIANew York to MiamiMIA → LGAMiami to New YorkORD → MCOChicago to OrlandoMCO → ORDOrlando to ChicagoDEN → PHXDenver to PhoenixPHX → DENPhoenix to DenverDEN → LASDenver to Las VegasLAS → DENLas Vegas to DenverDEN → SEADenver to SeattleSEA → DENSeattle to DenverDEN → SFODenver to San FranciscoSFO → DENSan Francisco to DenverDEN → SLCDenver to Salt Lake CitySLC → DENSalt Lake City to DenverDFW → ORDDallas-Fort Worth to ChicagoORD → DFWChicago to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → MCODallas-Fort Worth to OrlandoMCO → DFWOrlando to Dallas-Fort WorthDFW → MIADallas-Fort Worth to MiamiMIA → DFWMiami to Dallas-Fort WorthLAS → SFOLas Vegas to San FranciscoSFO → LASSan Francisco to Las VegasLAS → SEALas Vegas to SeattleSEA → LASSeattle to Las VegasBOS → DCABoston to WashingtonDCA → BOSWashington to BostonBOS → ORDBoston to ChicagoORD → BOSChicago to BostonBOS → MIABoston to MiamiMIA → BOSMiami to BostonJFK → MIANew York to MiamiMIA → JFKMiami to New YorkJFK → MCONew York to OrlandoMCO → JFKOrlando to New YorkEWR → MCONewark to OrlandoMCO → EWROrlando to NewarkMIA → ORDMiami to ChicagoORD → MIAChicago to MiamiSEA → SFOSeattle to San FranciscoSFO → SEASan Francisco to SeattleSEA → ANCSeattle to AnchorageANC → SEAAnchorage to SeattleMSP → ORDMinneapolis to ChicagoORD → MSPChicago to MinneapolisPHX → SEAPhoenix to SeattleSEA → PHXSeattle to PhoenixSLC → LAXSalt Lake City to Los AngelesLAX → SLCLos Angeles to Salt Lake CitySLC → SEASalt Lake City to SeattleSEA → SLCSeattle to Salt Lake CityMIA → SJUMiami to San JuanSJU → MIASan Juan to MiamiJFK → SJUNew York to San JuanSJU → JFKSan Juan to New York

Transatlantic

JFK → LHRNew York to LondonLHR → JFKLondon to New YorkEWR → LHRNewark to LondonLHR → EWRLondon to NewarkBOS → LHRBoston to LondonLHR → BOSLondon to BostonORD → LHRChicago to LondonLHR → ORDLondon to ChicagoLAX → LHRLos Angeles to LondonLHR → LAXLondon to Los AngelesSFO → LHRSan Francisco to LondonLHR → SFOLondon to San FranciscoIAD → LHRDulles to LondonLHR → IADLondon to DullesDFW → LHRDallas-Fort Worth to LondonLHR → DFWLondon to Dallas-Fort WorthMIA → LHRMiami to LondonLHR → MIALondon to MiamiATL → LHRAtlanta to LondonLHR → ATLLondon to AtlantaSEA → LHRSeattle to LondonLHR → SEALondon to SeattleJFK → CDGNew York to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → JFKParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to New YorkBOS → CDGBoston to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → BOSParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to BostonLAX → CDGLos Angeles to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → LAXParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to Los AngelesSFO → CDGSan Francisco to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → SFOParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to San FranciscoATL → CDGAtlanta to Paris (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise)CDG → ATLParis (Roissy-en-France, Val-d'Oise) to AtlantaJFK → FCONew York to RomeFCO → JFKRome to New YorkBOS → FCOBoston to RomeFCO → BOSRome to BostonEWR → FCONewark to RomeFCO → EWRRome to NewarkJFK → MADNew York to MadridMAD → JFKMadrid to New YorkJFK → BCNNew York to BarcelonaBCN → JFKBarcelona to New YorkMIA → MADMiami to MadridMAD → MIAMadrid to MiamiJFK → ATHNew York to Spata-ArtemidaATH → JFKSpata-Artemida to New YorkJFK → KEFNew York to ReykjavíkKEF → JFKReykjavík to New YorkBOS → KEFBoston to ReykjavíkKEF → BOSReykjavík to BostonSEA → KEFSeattle to ReykjavíkKEF → SEAReykjavík to SeattleEWR → LISNewark to LisbonLIS → EWRLisbon to NewarkJFK → FRANew York to Frankfurt am MainFRA → JFKFrankfurt am Main to New YorkORD → FRAChicago to Frankfurt am MainFRA → ORDFrankfurt am Main to ChicagoIAD → FRADulles to Frankfurt am MainFRA → IADFrankfurt am Main to DullesJFK → AMSNew York to AmsterdamAMS → JFKAmsterdam to New YorkATL → AMSAtlanta to AmsterdamAMS → ATLAmsterdam to AtlantaDTW → AMSDetroit to AmsterdamAMS → DTWAmsterdam to DetroitJFK → ZRHNew York to ZurichZRH → JFKZurich to New YorkEWR → GVANewark to GenevaGVA → EWRGeneva to NewarkJFK → DUBNew York to DublinDUB → JFKDublin to New YorkBOS → DUBBoston to DublinDUB → BOSDublin to BostonJFK → TLVNew York to Tel AvivTLV → JFKTel Aviv to New YorkEWR → TLVNewark to Tel AvivTLV → EWRTel Aviv to NewarkJFK → WAWNew York to WarsawWAW → JFKWarsaw to New York

Transpacific & Oceania

Middle East & Africa

Canada, Mexico & South America

Europe

Asia & Pacific

More routes

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.