Los Angeles to Auckland: which side of the plane gets the sun?
On most daytime flights from Los Angeles to Auckland, the sun shines in on the right. Sit on the left for shade, or the right for the view of the sun.
Best side for shade
Departure time is local at LAX. Seasons use the solstices and equinoxes.
| Departing | Mar | Jun | Sep | Dec |
|---|
| Morning07:00 | Right | Eithersun on both sides | Right | Right |
|---|
| Midday12:00 | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right |
|---|
| Afternoon16:00 | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right | Leftsunset right |
|---|
| Evening20:00 | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark | Eithermostly dark |
|---|
The route starts out heading southwest. When it happens during the flight, the sunrise is on the left, and the sunset is on the right.
About this flight
Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL) is about 10,487 km on the shortest path, typically around 13h 00m gate to gate. Set your exact departure time above to see where the sun is minute by minute.
How accurate is this?
Real flights don't fly exactly the shortest path, and delays and winds shift the timing, so treat sunrise and sunset times as approximate. At cruise altitude the sun sets 10 to 20 minutes later than on the ground. A bright cloud deck below can reflect glare in on either side. More on accuracy.
Related routes