PMI to FRA: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Palma de Mallorca (PMI) to Frankfurt am Main (FRA) is a 1,251 km (777 mi), roughly 1h 58m northbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime PMI to FRA 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 | Left |
| June solstice | Right | Both | Left |
| September equinox | Right | Right | Left |
| December solstice | Right | Both | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
Views are on the right, while shade is on the left. If you want the scenery, sit right and accept more sun. If you want the darker seat, go left and skip the main show.
You have the right side for views on this route. The left side is the shade side, so you trade sun for scenery. On a typical daytime flight, that means good sightlines on the right and a brighter cabin on that side.
Takeoff
After departure from PMI, depending on the runway in use, look right for the Balearic Islands and Mallorca soon after liftoff. Palma sits close on the left, and the Serra de Tramuntana comes up quickly on that side, almost under you, so it passes fast.
En route
- 26m in← LeftCosta Brava
About 25 minutes in, the Costa Brava stays on the left. You get a low coastal edge, not a full sweep.
- 44m inRight →Marseille
Around 45 minutes in, Marseille appears on the right. It is a distant city view, not a close pass.
- 52m inRight →Mont Ventoux
Just after that, Mont Ventoux sits to the right. It is a single peak shape rather than a wide range.
- 1h 13m inRight →Mont Blanc
About an hour and 10 minutes in, Mont Blanc and the Western Alps are on the right. This is the big mountain section of the flight.
- 1h 16m inRight →Matterhorn
A few minutes later, the Matterhorn also stays on the right. It is farther out, but the peak shape is still easy to pick out.
- 1h 37m inRight →Freiburg im Breisgau
On descent, Freiburg im Breisgau is on the right, followed by Karlsruhe a little later. The views shift from mountains to city edges.
Landing
Near landing at FRA, depending on the runway in use, the left side picks up Mainz, Loreley, and Wiesbaden. Mannheim and the Vogelsberg are on the right. It is a late approach with more ground detail than big scenery.
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 PMI to FRA?
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 PMI to FRA flights?
For sunset views, flip the advice: on evening departures the sun sits on the left side of this route, so that is the side with the show.
How long is the flight from PMI to FRA?
The great-circle distance is 1,251 km (777 mi), which works out to roughly 1h 58m in the air on this northbound 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 for views from PMI to FRA?
Sit on the right. That side gets the main views on this route.
Which side is better for shade on PMI to FRA?
Sit on the left. It is the shade side, so the cabin stays darker there.