What seat to take to see Burj Khalifa
Jun 26, 2019, 4:48 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
Hey SwissTom,
cool question and generally the answer would be on the left hand side. But it depends on whether they're using the northerly or southerly runways. 80%+ of the time it's the northerly, so after take off downtown and the Burj Khalifa are visible to the left. If you're really lucky you get a departure with a left turn and you circle downtown counter clockwise.
Coming into DXB it's harder. If the southerly runway is in use then the right hand side will afford you good views, but if it is the northerly you might not see it at all, though I still think your best bet is the right hand side as most approaches fly a downwind to the north-east of the airport, so you'd see the Burj Khalifa and nearer to you the DXB Airport from somewhere around 5000-6000 ft.
However be aware of the timings of your flights as well. It's very difficult to get a decent photo at night, especially from a phone, due to the glare of cabin lights and screens in the window, poor performance of the cameras in low light and the vibrations of the aircraft preventing a steady photo at the required longer exposure time.
cool question and generally the answer would be on the left hand side. But it depends on whether they're using the northerly or southerly runways. 80%+ of the time it's the northerly, so after take off downtown and the Burj Khalifa are visible to the left. If you're really lucky you get a departure with a left turn and you circle downtown counter clockwise.
Coming into DXB it's harder. If the southerly runway is in use then the right hand side will afford you good views, but if it is the northerly you might not see it at all, though I still think your best bet is the right hand side as most approaches fly a downwind to the north-east of the airport, so you'd see the Burj Khalifa and nearer to you the DXB Airport from somewhere around 5000-6000 ft.
However be aware of the timings of your flights as well. It's very difficult to get a decent photo at night, especially from a phone, due to the glare of cabin lights and screens in the window, poor performance of the cameras in low light and the vibrations of the aircraft preventing a steady photo at the required longer exposure time.
Jun 26, 2019, 6:02 am
#4
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: AUH
Posts: 8,267
During the timings that I have flown in/out of DXB, it has usually been the left side which has the view of the Dubai skyline.
However, the real answer, I think, is that it is difficult to predict in advance - for a departure, you can perhaps change your seat at check-in after checking the runway direction, but for an arrival, I would say it's close to impossible to know for sure.
Plus, visibility can be (and is more often than not) poor by reason of pollution/fog/moisture/sand in the air. Even if you were on the correct side, it's equally likely you won't get a decent shot because the visibility is not enough for a good shot.
However, the real answer, I think, is that it is difficult to predict in advance - for a departure, you can perhaps change your seat at check-in after checking the runway direction, but for an arrival, I would say it's close to impossible to know for sure.
Plus, visibility can be (and is more often than not) poor by reason of pollution/fog/moisture/sand in the air. Even if you were on the correct side, it's equally likely you won't get a decent shot because the visibility is not enough for a good shot.
Jun 26, 2019, 7:14 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Economy, mostly :(
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 7,801
On the way back you most probably will not get a view of the Burj Khalifa during landing, assuming the northerly runways are in use, as you approach over the desert and don't fly past the city. On departure the left side is your best bet.