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Window seat - where to seat to avoid sun on TPAC routes

Window seat - where to seat to avoid sun on TPAC routes

Old Oct 30, 2014, 9:17 pm
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Window seat - where to seat to avoid sun on TPAC routes

Subj. So there is a flight from Singapore to Tokyo, leaving 6AM Singapore time and another flight from Tokyo to San Francisco leaving around 4PM Tokyo time.

Assuming that window seats are available on both side of the plan, on which side will be the sun during the flight from Tokyo to SFO? I this it is obvious that during the flight from SIN to TYO sun will shine on right side.
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Old Oct 30, 2014, 9:42 pm
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Originally Posted by invisible
Subj. So there is a flight from Singapore to Tokyo, leaving 6AM Singapore time and another flight from Tokyo to San Francisco leaving around 4PM Tokyo time.

Assuming that window seats are available on both side of the plan, on which side will be the sun during the flight from Tokyo to SFO? I this it is obvious that during the flight from SIN to TYO sun will shine on right side.
Doesn't matter what time of day, in the northern hemisphere the sun is always on the south (except in the tropics). So the sun will be on the right side of the plane.

Unless, of course, some "I don't care about you" DB decides he has to have the shade on his window open so he can look at the clouds. Then you'll get the sun everywhere in the cabin.
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Old Oct 30, 2014, 9:49 pm
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Assuming you mean to travel in the next couple of months, it's Northern hemisphere winter, so the sun is south of the equator. You are flying east, roughly 35 degrees north of the equator so the sun will be on your right the entire journey.
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 5:47 am
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You could sit on the sunny side and make it a point to control the window shades.
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 6:54 am
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Originally Posted by SpannerSpinner
Assuming you mean to travel in the next couple of months, it's Northern hemisphere winter, so the sun is south of the equator. You are flying east, roughly 35 degrees north of the equator so the sun will be on your right the entire journey.
I believe the sun would be to the south/right regardless of the time of year. For eastbound, the only exception would be flights to Central/South America that would fly south of 23.5 degrees North. (And maybe MEX for a few days in June)
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 5:05 pm
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Indeed it would still be on your right, but if flying that route in the middle of the northern summer the sun would be much more overhead than at this time of year, less of an issue in terms of shining in a right hand window and directly into your eyes.
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 9:26 pm
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Look at this web site http://sunflight.net/
http://sunflight.net/?origin=sin&des...0&duration=6.0
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Old Oct 31, 2014, 9:53 pm
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Originally Posted by SpannerSpinner
Assuming you mean to travel in the next couple of months, it's Northern hemisphere winter, so the sun is south of the equator. You are flying east, roughly 35 degrees north of the equator so the sun will be on your right the entire journey.
Some eastbound tpacs (e.g. PEK-ORD/NYC/BOS/WAS/YYZ) use polar routes, in which the sun can be on the left for a few hours as you head south over Canada.
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Old Nov 1, 2014, 10:23 am
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Generally the sun will be on right side so I try for A seat. But most TPAC don't fly due east. It will be heading northeast for first bit then east then southeast.. So depending on time of day and exact path, eg more northerly out of Tokyo, might get sun on the left for a late day departure or if heading more southerly into SFO for a morning arrival. That being said majority of flight it will still be on the right.

Also I'm sometimes that "DB" that will open shade to watch islands, glaciers, Alaska, pacific NW, etc but not so DBgy to leave it open if cloudy/open ocean. You're welcome!

Last edited by yytleisure; Nov 1, 2014 at 10:25 am Reason: Clarify
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Old Nov 2, 2014, 1:05 am
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Originally Posted by yytleisure
Also I'm sometimes that "DB" that will open shade to watch islands, glaciers, Alaska, pacific NW, etc but not so DBgy to leave it open if cloudy/open ocean. You're welcome!
It is if you're disturbing 20 other people on the plane.
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Old Nov 2, 2014, 7:49 am
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Originally Posted by gobluetwo
You could sit on the sunny side and make it a point to control the window shades.
On United TPAC flights, the grandmas have control of the shades. (sorry, I meant the flight attendants) You refuse to close or open them? Just watch them stare at you until you comply. Doesn't even matter if you sit in business class.
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Old Nov 2, 2014, 10:33 am
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This is where the acronym POSH comes from. In the olden days of long-distance travel by ship, members of the British upper-class would travel 'POSH' when visiting the eastern colonies, e.g. India and Singapore. It simply means Port Out Starboard Home, and referred to the location of your cabin onboard the ship.

Same thing applies to this day when traveling in an easterly direction on the Northern hemisphere.
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Old Nov 2, 2014, 10:46 am
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Originally Posted by Sheikh Yerbooty
This is where the acronym POSH comes from. In the olden days of long-distance travel by ship, members of the British upper-class would travel 'POSH' when visiting the eastern colonies, e.g. India and Singapore. It simply means Port Out Starboard Home, and referred to the location of your cabin onboard the ship.

Same thing applies to this day when traveling in an easterly direction on the Northern hemisphere.
Snopes.com doesn't support the acronym theory, attractive as it may be. They favor a Romany origin, from a word for money.
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Old Nov 2, 2014, 2:39 pm
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Originally Posted by Tchiowa
It is if you're disturbing 20 other people on the plane.
Let's not turn this into one of those threads. I appreciate your point and personally disagree. Safe travels!
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Old Nov 10, 2014, 11:03 pm
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Originally Posted by CPRich
I believe the sun would be to the south/right regardless of the time of year. For eastbound, the only exception would be flights to Central/South America that would fly south of 23.5 degrees North. (And maybe MEX for a few days in June)
In polar (Alaska/Siberia) latitudes during the peak of summer, sunrise is NNE and sunset is NNW. I've done the "supposedly" red-eye LAX-PEK in June, and picked the right window on purpose, just to see the sun to the NORTH, albeit just for a few seconds covering head and body with the blanket next to sleeping neighbors.
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