Is there a better side of the plane?
 

I have been looking at the seating charts for my United JFK-LHR-JFK flights and there is something I don't understand. My JFK-LHR flight is a morning flight near the end of June. Almost all of the seats on the left side of Business Class are already reserved, but the right side of the plane is almost empty. My LHR-JFK flight is an early evening flight at the beginning of July. Almost all of the seats on the right side of Business class are reserved, but the left side is almost empty. Is there a reason for this? I would appreciate the benefit of your experience. Thank you.

This is not the reason for what you describe, especially given your route, but to answer your topic title question, pilot friends have told me it's always better to sit on the same side as the captain. If there is to be any "tours," those times when pilots are early and will make a couple of turns over the Grand Canyon or Hawaiian volcanic activity or Lake Tahoe, the captain is most likely to make turns to the left.

Hi,

On the morning flight JFK-LHR the right hand side should be facing into the sun for a good part of the flight whereas the left hand should be out of direct sunlight.
On the evening flight LHR-JFK the left hand side should have more of the sun streaming thorugh the windows whereas the right hand side should be more in the shade. Maybe most of the passengers want to avoid the direct sunlight so they choose the side with the least sun?

Regards
TBS

POSH still rules the seas!

"Port Out, Starboard Home" - I'd forgotten all about that! But, seriously, do you think it actually applies in this case?

For me it does. I read, and I don't like direct sunlite. I select the shade side not only on planes, but on trains also.

Thank you, slawecki and The Banking Scot. I don't like direct sunlight, either, and I'll know better next time!