HND to LAX: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Tokyo (HND) to Los Angeles (LAX) is a 8,812 km (5,476 mi), roughly 10h 52m eastbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime HND to LAX departures the sun favors the right side — sit on the left (an A seat) for shade.
Sun side by season and departure time
| Season | Morning (8 am) | Midday (1 pm) | Evening (6 pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Right | Left | Both |
| June solstice | Both | Left | Left |
| September equinox | Right | Left | Both |
| December solstice | Right | Right | Right |
What you’ll see on this flight
The left side wins on both views and shade.
Sit on the left. It wins for the views and for the shade on this route, so you get the cleaner window story without extra glare.
Takeoff
On departure from HND, the left side picks up Tokyo, Sagamihara, Saitama, and Hachiōji-shi as you climb out, depending on the runway in use. Yokosuka sits off the right.
En route
- 8m in← LeftMito
About 8 minutes in, Mito sits left of the climb path.
- 10h 12m in← LeftGolden Gate Bridge
Near 10 hours in, the Golden Gate Bridge comes into view on the left. It is a quick, angled look from cruise height.
- 10h 12m in← LeftAlcatraz Island
At the same time, Alcatraz Island is also left, small and isolated in the bay below.
- 10h 12m in← LeftSan Francisco
San Francisco stays left with the bay-side cluster, so that whole stretch favors your window.
- 10h 13m in← LeftOakland
Oakland follows on the left a minute later, part of the same Bay Area sweep.
- 10h 17m in← LeftSan Jose
A few minutes after that, San Jose stays left as the route tracks south.
Landing
On descent into LAX, the left side keeps delivering. Anaheim, Irvine, and Santa Ana line up on that side near landing, depending on the runway in use. Long Beach and Oxnard sit to the right.
Sides and timings are computed from this route’s geometry. What you actually see depends on weather, air-traffic routing, and the runway in use on the day.
Frequently asked
Which side of the plane avoids the sun from HND to LAX?
Across typical daytime departures, the sun predominantly hits the right side of the aircraft, so the left side stays shadier. Seat letters start at the left window, so choose an A seat.
Which side has the sunset views on HND to LAX flights?
For sunrise or sunset views, sit on the side the table marks as the sun side for your departure time — that is where the light is.
How long is the flight from HND to LAX?
The great-circle distance is 8,812 km (5,476 mi), which works out to roughly 10h 52m in the air on this eastbound routing. Winds and routing move the real block time around that estimate.
Does the date or departure time change the answer?
Yes — that is why the table shows both. The sun's path shifts with the season, and a morning departure can put the glare on the opposite side compared to an evening one. For a specific flight, the calculator samples the sun along the whole route for your exact date and time.
Which side should I sit on from HND to LAX?
Sit on the left. It is the view side and the shade side on this route.
What do I see on the HND to LAX flight?
You get Tokyo and nearby cities after takeoff, then the San Francisco Bay Area near cruise, with a left-side landing view around Orange County.