CabinShade
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.
| Departs | Jan | Apr | Jul | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 am | Dark | F/K | A | Dark |
| 9 am | F/K | F/K | F/K | F/K |
| noon | F/K | F/K | F/K | F/K |
| 3 pm | F/K | F/K | F/K | F/K |
| 6 pm | Dark | A | A | F/K |
| 9 pm | Dark | Dark | A | Dark |
Sunrise and sunset views
- Sunset on the right side (seats F/K): 6 pm departures in October; 9 pm departures in July.
- Sunrise on the left side (seat A): 6 am departures in April.
- Sunrise on the right side (seats F/K): 6 am departures in July.
About the DTW–LAX route
- Distance: 3,178 km (1,975 miles) along the great circle.
- Estimated flight time: 4h 4m. Real schedules vary with winds and routing.
- Direction: leaves heading west, is flying west-southwest at the halfway point, and arrives heading west-southwest.
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 Detroit to Los Angeles?
Flying Detroit (DTW) to Los Angeles (LAX)? The shady side changes with the date and departure time; it is the right (F/K) on 14 of 18 daytime departures.
Which side has the sunset or sunrise view?
Most often the sunset is on the right side (seats F/K); 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.