Originally Posted by spike74
That earlier writer was me. Flyertalkers are so knowledgeable that someone could probably tell you "if there is a northwesterly breeze at EWR, you should sit on the left side of the plane if you want to see the Manhattan skyline after takeoff".
I pray the person giving such advice was not my pilot, who I hope was trained to NOT take off down wind.
If there is a northwesterly breeze at EWR, they should be using runways 4. You would need to be on the right side of the plane to see the Manhattan skyline on a takeoff.
Some locations have preferred patterns or sea breezes that results in operations the same way 90% of the time, so you can figure which side to sit on. Most places operate both ways.
To get a good seat it is necessary to reserve it as far as possible in advance. You don't know which way the wind is blowing until the day of your flight. By then, with planes running so full, it will be very difficult to pick which side to sit on, or have much choice at all if you want to change seats.
Get a window seat on either side in a good row (exit, bulkhead, toward the front, whatever is your favorate) and enjoy whatever view you get that trip.