When you book a flight, how can you figure out which side of the aircraft the sun will be on? I was just asked this yesterday, and it was easy to answer, as there’s a website for it. I figured it was worth a quick post, and let’s also talk about why this could matter.
In this post:
SunFlight: see where the sun will be on your flight
SunFlight is a website that will show you the path of the sun for any flight. You can use this for whatever purpose you want, though the most common use is to help people plan where they might want to sit on a flight, based on the location of the sun. SunFlight also tells you when the sunrise and sunset will be on your flight, which can help with planning rest.
So, how do you use SunFlight? It’s super easy. You just enter your origin and destination airport, the date and time of travel, and the length of the flight. As an example, I entered the schedule for Etihad’s flight EY2, from New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH).
You can then click “Show Flight Map,” and it will — you guessed it — show you a flight map! It’s important to emphasize that this is just an estimation, since it goes based on the direct distance between two airports, and some flights might not necessarily travel that directly (especially on ultra long haul flights). That also says nothing of the potential for delays, and departure time not actually being when an aircraft takes off.
Still, I find this to be useful for getting a general sense of where the sun will be on a flight.
Even beyond the map, SunFlight states for what percent of time the sun will be on each side.
Why should you care about where the sun is?
Some people might be wondering why they’d even care where the sun is on a particular flight. That’s a valid question. The way I view it, there are a couple of most practical uses.
For one, it helps to know if and when it’s going to be light or dark on a flight, since it often impacts light in the cabin, when people may choose to sleep, etc. After all, people take very different approaches when it comes to window shade etiquette.
But arguably the bigger use is planning on where you want to sit based on where the sun will be located. Interestingly enough, people disagree as to whether they want to sit on the same side of the plane as the sun or on the opposite side.
It’s more common for people to prefer to sit on the opposite side of the plane of the sun. There’s not as much glare if you choose to keep the window shade open, and on top of that, the heat from the sun can often be felt if you’re on the same side as the sun, even if your window shade is down (and especially on Boeing 787s, which have the dimming window shades).
Others prefer sitting on the same side of the plane as the sun. Maybe you’re traveling in the morning or evening, and want a great view of the sunrise or sunset. In those situations, it helps to be on the same side of the plane as the sun. Some may also like being on the same side of the plane as the sun so that they can control the window shade, rather than potentially having the sun in their eyes from the opposite side of the cabin.
Bottom line
SunFlight is a handy website that will show you on what side of the aircraft the sun will be, based on the time and day you depart, and the route you’re flying. I find this to be handy, though the way I use it depends on the type of flight. Sometimes I like to enjoy a sunrise or sunset view, while other times I like to be on the opposite side of the plane.
Do any OMAAT readers decide where to sit on a plane based on the location of the sun?
The term "posh" originates from "port out; starboard home" for europeans sailing to and from the orient so as to ensure shade in both directions.
I always take that into account on flights..
The editors of Merriam-Webster's dictionaries have been searching for years for evidence that "posh" is derived from "port out, starborard home," and they still haven't found such evidence.
Snoozing in the sun…cats and dogs have it right, in my humble passenger opinion.
Err…not sure why one needs an app for this. Not that hard to figure out by applying some basic common sense.
Great tip, thanks!
Another nonsense article from OMAAT. Me thinks; Ben is running out of suitable topics !
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Gotta keep those CC companies sweet..
Another nonsense comment from readers. Me thinks; haters are running out of suitable excuses !
Centre and aisle seats are available…….
No need for this app if your fly Detla. Because according to she-who-must-not-be-named, the sun eternally shines over every Detla plane, and all those sophisticated enough to fly Detla..
The last time I flew Helsinki - Tokyo, the route out was south via Turkey and the route back via the North Pole. The site can't even handle plot one of those flights correctly let alone realise that there is a massive difference depending on which direction you fly. Even transatlantic flights take different routes in different directions.
Should I get out of bed on the left or right tomorrow? -- There's an app for that.
Today isn't April Fool's Day is it?
Thank you for bringing this up. When selecting a seat I have always tried to take into consideration where the sun will be during the trip. Flights are just as much of a geographyl lesson for me as a quick way to get to where I need to go. When I have forgotten to take it into account, I can't tell you how friustrating it can be to be to be 'stuck' on the wrong...
Thank you for bringing this up. When selecting a seat I have always tried to take into consideration where the sun will be during the trip. Flights are just as much of a geographyl lesson for me as a quick way to get to where I need to go. When I have forgotten to take it into account, I can't tell you how friustrating it can be to be to be 'stuck' on the wrong side in the glare of the sun. If the sun is not really a big factor I look at Flightaware History of the flight I am taking to see which side will have the best views of cities or coastlines especially! (Ocean for 4 hours or the very intersesting coastline w/ islands bays & cities?) And I have wondered how many other people out there are taking this into consideration.
Um. Yes just fly a polar route. Cabin temperature will vary as much as 10°. It's nice to have a site to that reminds us, and also they should have an alternative view recommendation !
The website apparently from India has a critical error: Daylight Saving/Summer Time. It does not account for anything other than standard time at all. Just try a 6 am eastbound flight from LAX this morning, which had a sunrise time of 6:31 am PDT. Well you have to type in 5 am (PST) and you can slide 31 minutes and you'll see sunrise happening at LAX.
Excellent. Everyone should do this. I use this this each trip
I prefer opposite side for sun for your reasons. Although sun sides can change I.e. westbound FRA IAD LH schedule has sun starting on left then transitioning to right side.
If only everyone would be courteous and close their windowshades during flight, you wouldn't need to worry about what side the sun is on.
Wrong. Having others dim windows on a 787 does not protect you from the heat. Perhaps fly more routes and planes before passing judgment.
I am definitely an "Opposite Side" and I plan accordingly but I am horrified to see that people need an app for this. Have they all become absolute morons? Kowing the destination and the time of departure, it should be easy to find out and , if necessary, the arrival time helps you.
I puzzled friends, some 30 years ago, by telling them that I saw several times the sun rise from the West, and...
I am definitely an "Opposite Side" and I plan accordingly but I am horrified to see that people need an app for this. Have they all become absolute morons? Kowing the destination and the time of departure, it should be easy to find out and , if necessary, the arrival time helps you.
I puzzled friends, some 30 years ago, by telling them that I saw several times the sun rise from the West, and some provided the most ludicrous explanations ("Leaving from the Southern Hemisphere" etc... I was also called "Mad" or "A liar".
The answer is that the AF Concorde from Paris to Washington to Mexico left late in the afternoon, in the dark of the winter. It arrived in Washington in full daylight the same day.
I mean. . . the outside, 100% of the time.
(Ben, you'll need a steady supply of these when your child is 6 or 7).
Hard to believe we need a website for this. If you’re flying CLT-JFK, anyone with more than an elementary school education knows you’re generally flying north, and therefore the sun will be on your left. If you’re flying SFO-PHL during the day, you’re flying east so the sun will be on your right, etc.
Always blows me away when we take off, and someone immediately closes the shade because the sun is in their eyes...
Hard to believe we need a website for this. If you’re flying CLT-JFK, anyone with more than an elementary school education knows you’re generally flying north, and therefore the sun will be on your left. If you’re flying SFO-PHL during the day, you’re flying east so the sun will be on your right, etc.
Always blows me away when we take off, and someone immediately closes the shade because the sun is in their eyes in the 30 seconds after takeoff…it’s hard not to say “you realize we just took off to the south, but we’re about to turn 90 degrees because our destination is west, right?”
I think it's a bit more complicated than that. Unless I'm much mistaken, if you're flying CLT-JFK on the 6:31 AM Delta Connection flight, the sun will be on your RIGHT, not your left, because the east will be on your right. On the other hand, the sun will indeed be on your left if you're flying CLT-JFK on the 5:47 PM American flight.
Not to mention that while most people know the sun rises...
I think it's a bit more complicated than that. Unless I'm much mistaken, if you're flying CLT-JFK on the 6:31 AM Delta Connection flight, the sun will be on your RIGHT, not your left, because the east will be on your right. On the other hand, the sun will indeed be on your left if you're flying CLT-JFK on the 5:47 PM American flight.
Not to mention that while most people know the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they may not have enough information to determine where the sun would be at midday.
OP definitely missed the analysis, you're right about that. But please go back to 4th grade if you need a website to figure this out for you. Many of us have been doing this for our entire flying lives... And all in our heads! We really are amazing
OK now do a morning departure JFK-PEK in June without looking it up
Yes. For 2 hour flights in the summer - it should be quite intuitive. But for 14-hour intercontinentals or even taking a diagonal US domestic flight (e.g., SEA-MIA) in the winter around midday, the website and slider might help.
I choose side of the plane based on potential views.
Oh, you guys are all idiots. I was an interior designer for several years. Clients had NO idea which direction was south, etc. For one flight it may not matter, but...
Figuring this out without a website is a good test of basic spatial reasoning skills
I’m waiting for the “Which Side Of My House Will The Sunrise/ Sunset Be In?” post.
So tricky!
The last time I ever failed to take this into consideration was Abu Dhabi to Washington Dulles on an Etihad 787-9. 14 hours baked on the left side...
Ouch.
Exactly. All of these “it doesn’t matter” or “you’re an idiot” comments reflect a lack of meaningful experience.
Thanks for sharing, this will really help me with praying when I fly.
Have always loved this site…wish someone would buy it and invest some money in the GUI. It doesn’t render well on cell phones.
And on my iPad everytime I like a comment the site sends me back to the top of the article
Love the site and I engage with it more than my loved ones on some days. But yeah, the ad situation has improved but the site itself loads in a very inefficient manner. Can't access comments until all page content has fully loaded. Bummer when you're on weak cell data.
Also I am always wondering why no one has invented a robust, easy-to-implement commenting platform to rival Disqus. Something basic and UX-friendly, like Reddit....
Love the site and I engage with it more than my loved ones on some days. But yeah, the ad situation has improved but the site itself loads in a very inefficient manner. Can't access comments until all page content has fully loaded. Bummer when you're on weak cell data.
Also I am always wondering why no one has invented a robust, easy-to-implement commenting platform to rival Disqus. Something basic and UX-friendly, like Reddit. Wasn't HTML5 supposed to revolutionize what sites could deliver?
I love the site and all Ben's efforts, and being in the UK, it seems the ad situation is not so bad here, but why is it that if you sort comments by 'Oldest first' you can only see max. one reply to a comment even when there's a huge thread of replies when listed by 'newest first'? Even if you then switch back to newest first, the thread has gone. Have to reload the entire page to get them back
Whoever runs that website could use some UI improvement, although of course it's nice that they built the idea to begin with.
It's pretty unclear what that 4th input box is supposed to be, or what it's limited by. You're supposed to figure out / input what duration the flight is? After you already gave it the start/end points? And you can put in a nonsensical 1 hour for example, for a LAX-LHR flight, and it will display an incorrect map/timeline slider?