CabinShade

Which side of the plane from Auckland (AKL) to Sydney (SYD)?

Auckland Airport, New Zealand → Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, Australia

Quick answer

Sit on the left side (seat A) to stay in the shade. On 14 of the 17 daytime departures we checked from Auckland to Sydney, the sun shines on the right side of the plane.

Want sunlight or the view toward the sun instead? Pick the right side (seats F/K).

A shade

Check your exact flight

Seasons and departure times change the answer. Enter yours and CabinShade tracks the sun along the whole route.

Shady side by departure time and season

Each cell shows the window side that stays out of the sun for a departure at that local time on the 15th of the month. A = left side, F/K = right side, Any = little direct sun, Dark = night flight.

DepartsJanAprJulOct
6 amF/KADarkA
9 amAAAA
noonAAAA
3 pmAAAA
6 pmF/KDarkDarkF/K
9 pmDarkDarkDarkDark

Sunrise and sunset views

About the AKL–SYD route

Window seat letters: A is the left window on almost every airline. The right window is the last letter in the row: usually F on single-aisle jets and K (sometimes J or L) on wide-bodies. How seat letters work.

Questions about this flight

Which side of the plane is shady from Auckland to Sydney?

Flying Auckland (AKL) to Sydney (SYD)? For most daytime flights the sun is on the right, so sit on the left (seat A) for shade.

Which side has the sunset or sunrise view?

Most often the sunrise is on the left side (seat A); it depends on the departure time and season. Use the calculator with your exact date to be sure.

How is this calculated?

CabinShade follows the great-circle route in 60 steps and computes the sun's position at each step, then counts how long each side of the cabin faces the sun. More on the method.

Related routes

Return flight: Sydney (SYD) to Auckland (AKL) →

More flights from Auckland

More flights to Sydney

All routes · Which side of the plane gets the sun?