Window Seats on the Heart Reef Flights
Do you get a window seat on a Heart Reef scenic flight, can you choose the left or right side, and what passengers say about seats, the co-pilot seat and motion sickness.
Yes, you get a window seat: all three Heart Reef flights from Airlie Beach give every passenger one. You cannot choose your side. On Fly Australia’s flight the crew seats passengers for the weight and balance of the plane, and the pilot makes several passes over each place for photographs. The flight in the calendar is Fly Australia’s Airlie Beach: Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight, from US$240 a person (checked November 2026).
The crew assigns the seats; there is nothing to choose in the calendar.
What each flight promises
| Flight | Window | How seats are given | On board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitsunday Islands & Heart Reef Scenic Flight (Fly Australia) | A window seat for all passengers; large panoramic windows under a high wing | By weight and balance of the aircraft | Group size not stated |
| Whitsundays & Heart Reef Scenic Flight (Ocean Rafting) | Guaranteed window seat, big windows | Not stated | Group size not stated |
| Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef Scenic Flight (Whitsunday Air Tours) | Guaranteed window seat | Not stated | Up to 7 passengers |
From each flight’s GetYourGuide page, checked November 2026.
The high wing matters more than it sounds: the wing sits above the cabin, so it does not block the view down.
Left side or right side?
Neither side is fixed as the better one, because the plane turns. Fly Australia’s pilots make several passes at each place, and several reviewers of the three flights describe the pilot circling or flying over the main sights twice so each side gets its view. One wrote that the pilot counted down before a sight came into the window.
Not everyone felt that way. One passenger on Fly Australia’s flight sat on the left and wrote that many of the views were on the right; another reviewer of the same flight wrote that their mother was put in the emergency-exit seat and did not have a full view of the reef. If a seat looks poor when you board, say so to the crew before take-off, since the seating plan is theirs.
The seat next to the pilot
Several solo travellers on these flights wrote that they flew in the co-pilot seat, and one reviewer’s husband sat up front. None of the flights sells that seat as an option, so treat it as luck rather than something to plan for.
Groups and couples
Because seats follow the weight of each passenger, a couple or a family can be seated apart, each at a window. Fly Australia does not take passengers over 130 kg, and the one-hour flight from Whitsunday Airport sets its limit at 125 kg.
Motion sickness
A small plane moves more than an airliner. Reviewers on the one-hour flight and on Whitsunday Air Tours' flight advise taking a travel-sickness tablet beforehand if you are prone to it. One reviewer of Fly Australia’s flight wrote that the pilot warned the cabin before turbulence.
For a window over Heart Reef close to town, with several passes at each place, book Fly Australia’s flight.
Check times for the Heart Reef flight
Bring sunglasses and a camera. The itinerary goes through the flight minute by minute.
More from Airlie Beach
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Scenic flights, boat days and reef trips from Airlie Beach with live availability. Where each starts, what it includes and the cancellation terms are shown before you book.
A Window Seat for Every Passenger
Fly Australia's high-wing plane has large panoramic windows and a window seat for everyone, and the pilot makes several passes at each place for photographs.
Check times