On the plane...

[La Pomme Verte]

I'm flying into London next year and I got to thinking...Surely one side of the plane on the flight into London from the States HAS to have great views of the city. So which side is it? The left or the right?

Kodee.

[TimmyJames1976]

well considering you will be over the ocean and cloud cover the majority of the time, and you may be flying in during the evening, i would not worry too much about it. i did fly into a sunrise which was cool.

[space virgin]

There's not much difference since you're so high up until the very last minute. But they do use different flight patterns so it's pretty much impossible to say.

[omisan]

Yeah, you probably won't see much either way, and with the varying flight patterns, it's hard to tell. The one time I got a kick-ass view of London was when I went over and was on a right-side window.

When we got to Heathrow, they had some delays on the ground and had to put us in this 15-minute holding pattern, circling clockwise over London. The view and coverage was perfect, and the morning was clear, so I got a bitchin' aerial tour of London and could make everything out.

I've been back XX number of times since and haven't gotten that, though. And now I always opt for aisle - it's one long ass flight

[GoKrazy]

I second Omi on this one... I have been taking aisle seats for the last 5 or so transcontinental flights. I'd much rather have the ability to stretch my legs or have an easier access to go to the bathroom (instead of climbing over a sleeping passenger) then trying to get lucky and get a glimps of the city I am landing in. Most of the time the view does not make a difference either, as a lot of the airports are outside of the city, so the view isn't that spectacular.

[Kaaar]

Yeah, but London is different to most in that because Heathrow is to the west, and there is usually a westerly wind, on most days flights landing will go over the city - still not guaranteed a view though. I'd go for the right side as your best bet, as most of the sights are north of the Thames.

[bellelass]

I always marvelled over this, because I could be sitting in hyde park or chillin near the thames and literally see a plane pass over head every five minutes on the dot, but all the times I've flown into Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted I've not seen shit of the "city". I really dont get it.
Although when I flew to heathrow from the us last time I was in the left side window and got a bitchin veiw of what I think was stonehenge, cause we had to wait for the runways to clear. But my vote is for aisle. If you want a great aerial of London, go up in the Monument. Its sweet.