Auckland to Los Angeles: which side of the plane gets the sun?
On most daytime flights from Auckland to Los Angeles, the sun shines in on the left. Sit on the right for shade, or the left for the view of the sun.
Best side for shade
Departure time is local at AKL. Seasons use the solstices and equinoxes.
| Departing | Mar | Jun | Sep | Dec |
|---|
| Morning07:00 | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Leftsunset left |
|---|
| Midday12:00 | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left | Rightsunset left |
|---|
| Afternoon16:00 | Rightsunset left | Eithersun on both sides | Eithersun on both sides | Eithersun on both sides |
|---|
| Evening20:00 | Leftsunrise right | Leftsunrise right | Leftsunrise right | Leftsunrise right |
|---|
The route starts out heading northeast. When it happens during the flight, the sunrise is on the right, and the sunset is on the left.
About this flight
Auckland (AKL) to Los Angeles (LAX) 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