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 | A | A | A | A |
| 9 am | A | A | F/K | A |
| noon | A | F/K | F/K | A |
| 3 pm | A | F/K | F/K | A |
| 6 pm | A | A | A | A |
| 9 pm | A | A | A | A |
Sunrise and sunset views
- Sunset on the left side (seat A): 6 am and 6 pm departures in April and July; 9 am departures in April, July and October; noon and 3 pm departures year-round.
- Sunset on the right side (seats F/K): 6 am departures in January and October; 9 am departures in January; 9 pm departures in January, April and October.
- Sunrise on the left side (seat A): 9 am and noon departures in April, July and October; 3 pm and 6 pm departures in April and July; 9 pm departures in July.
- Sunrise on the right side (seats F/K): 6 am and 9 pm departures in January, April and October; noon departures in January; 3 pm and 6 pm departures in January and October.
About the HKG–SFO route
- Distance: 11,128 km (6,915 miles) along the great circle.
- Estimated flight time: 14h 16m. Real schedules vary with winds and routing.
- Direction: leaves heading northeast, is flying east-northeast at the halfway point, and arrives heading southeast.
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 Hong Kong to San Francisco?
Flying Hong Kong (HKG) to San Francisco (SFO)? The shady side changes with the date and departure time; it is the left (A) on 19 of 24 daytime departures.
Which side has the sunset or sunrise view?
Most often the sunset 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.