Most of us spend flights with the window shade down, watching movies. But some routes reward the patient window-seat passenger with views that are genuinely extraordinary.
1. Kathmandu to Paro (Bhutan)
The approach into Paro is considered one of the most technically challenging landings in commercial aviation. The valley floor is at 7,300 feet, surrounded by peaks rising to 20,000+ feet. Window seats offer views of the Himalayan massif at eye level, often including Everest.
2. Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown Airport sits in a glacially carved valley flanked by the Remarkables mountain range and Lake Wakatipu. On clear days with snow on the peaks, the visual is genuinely breathtaking.
3. Barra, Scotland
Barra Airport is the only commercial airport in the world that uses a beach as its runway. The Loganair Twin Otter service from Glasgow delivers passengers onto a cockle shell beach landing that is entirely unique in commercial aviation.
4. Cape Town, South Africa
Approaching Cape Town from the north in clear weather, with Table Mountain filling the entire window and the two oceans meeting at the Cape below, is one of the great moments in aviation sightseeing.