FlownLondon Gatwick to Athens: which side of the plane?
Flying out, sit on the left (seat A) for the Zugspitze, the Dolomites and the Grossglockner; the right side has the Eiger and Jungfrau, and Venice.
Flying from London Heathrow instead? You pass much the same things, on the same sides.
- RouteLGW → ATH
- Distance1,487 miles (2,393 km) direct
- Flight timeroughly 3¾ hours
What you might see, flying out
Left side · seat A
- The White Cliffs of Doversoon after take-off
- The Zugspitzeabout 1h 25m in
- The Dolomitesabout 1h 35m in
- The Grossglocknerabout 1h 35m in
- Mount Olympusabout 3h 15m in
Right side · seat F
- The Eiger and Jungfrauabout 1h 10m in
- Veniceabout 1h 45m in
Leaving London Gatwick (LGW), the sun is mostly on the right in the morning and the afternoon alike, so the left side is shadier.
Flying home: Athens to Gatwick
Flying home, sit on the right (seat F) for Mount Olympus, the Dolomites and the Grossglockner; the left side has Venice, and the Eiger and Jungfrau.
Left side · seat A
- Veniceabout 1h 55m in
- The Eiger and Jungfrauabout 2h 30m in
Right side · seat F
- Mount Olympusabout 25 min in
- The Dolomitesabout 2h 05m in
- The Grossglocknerabout 2h 05m in
- The Zugspitzeabout 2h 15m in
- The White Cliffs of Doveron the way in to land
Leaving Athens (ATH) in the afternoon, the sun is mostly on the left, so the right side is shadier.
Worked out along the direct (great-circle) route between the two airports. Real flights follow airways, winds and air traffic control, often tens of miles either side of it, so these are likely rather than certain, and clouds permitting. Times assume a typical 3¾-hour flight. Seat letters are for the window: A on the left; on the right, F on most single-aisle jets and K on most wide-bodies.