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Charlie Mortling

@thisairlineguy

#avgeek

 Los Angeles, CA
avgeeks.aero
Joined May 2023
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  • Followers25
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Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)Photo by Charlie Mortling (@thisairlineguy)
Inside Delta's First 3NP Flight: A Day Aboard the Premium-Heavy A321neo avgeeks.aero/reviews/flight-…
Inside Delta’s First 3NP Flight: A Day Aboard the Premium-Heavy A321neo

Inside Delta’s First 3NP Flight: A Day Aboard the Premium-Heavy A321neo

When Delta first announced it’s premium-heavy A321neo, I made it a point to be on the inaugural flight. For those unfamiliar, the 3NP is Delta’s premium-heavy version of the A321neo…

avgeeks.aero
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Florida's Skies Are Up for Grabs: How Allegiant, Avelo, and the Rest Are Filling Spirit's Vacated Lanes avgeeks.aero/news/floridas-s…
Florida’s Skies Are Up for Grabs: How Allegiant, Avelo, and the Rest Are Filling Spirit’s Vacated...

Florida’s Skies Are Up for Grabs: How Allegiant, Avelo, and the Rest Are Filling Spirit’s Vacated...

When Spirit Airlines began an “orderly wind-down” on May 2, 2026, with all flights canceled effective immediately, the budget travel landscape didn’t just lose a player – it lost the loudest…

avgeeks.aero
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Why Airlines Will Pay You Thousands to Give Up Your Seat avgeeks.aero/airlines/why-ai…
Why Airlines Will Pay You Thousands to Give Up Your Seat

Why Airlines Will Pay You Thousands to Give Up Your Seat

If you’ve spent any real time flying, you’ve almost certainly heard a gate agent pick up the microphone and announce that the flight is “full today” and that they’re “looking for volunteers.

avgeeks.aero
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The Hidden Logic Behind Flight Cancellations: Why Not All Canceled Flights Are Created Equal avgeeks.aero/insights/the-hi…
The Hidden Logic Behind Flight Cancellations: Why Not All Canceled Flights Are Created Equal

The Hidden Logic Behind Flight Cancellations: Why Not All Canceled Flights Are Created Equal

When the dreaded “CANCELLED” notification flashes across the departure board, passengers naturally feel singled out. Why this flight? Why today? Why me? What most travelers don’t realize is that…

avgeeks.aero
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Spirit Airlines Could Be Shutting Down Tonight – Here’s What You Need to Do Right Now avgeeks.aero/news/spirit-air…
Spirit Airlines Could Be Shutting Down Tonight - Here’s What You Need to Do Right Now

Spirit Airlines Could Be Shutting Down Tonight - Here’s What You Need to Do Right Now

It’s official – or as close to official as it gets before the final gate closes. Spirit Airlines, the Florida-based ultra-low-cost carrier that spent nearly two decades reshaping the economics of…

avgeeks.aero
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Why Are Airlines Always Changing Your Flight Schedule? avgeeks.aero/insights/why-ar…

Why Are Airlines Always Changing Your Flight Schedule?

You found a great flight, booked it months in advance, and then one day an email arrives – your departure time has shifted, your routing has changed, or worse, the flight has been cancelled outright.

avgeeks.aero
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How Are Airlines Managing the Fuel Crisis? avgeeks.aero/insights/how-ar…
How Are Airlines Managing the Fuel Crisis?

How Are Airlines Managing the Fuel Crisis?

Jet fuel is the single largest variable cost for most airlines, often accounting for 25 to 35 percent of operating expenses depending on the carrier and the route mix. When the price of a barrel…

avgeeks.aero
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Understanding No-Fly Lists: How They Really Work avgeeks.aero/travel/understa…

Understanding No-Fly Lists: How They Really Work

Few topics in aviation generate as much curiosity-and misinformation-as the no-fly list. Travelers often hear the term tossed around casually, sometimes as a joke after a rough flight…

avgeeks.aero
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The Surprising Truth: Most Airlines Don’t Own Their Planes avgeeks.aero/insights/the-su…

The Surprising Truth: Most Airlines Don’t Own Their Planes

When you board a flight emblazoned with a major airline’s livery, it’s natural to assume the carrier owns the aircraft beneath your feet. The reality is far more interesting. A significant portion of…

avgeeks.aero
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Scott Kirby’s United-American “Merger” Statement Reads Like Damage Control avgeeks.aero/airlines/scott-…
Scott Kirby’s United-American “Merger” Statement Reads Like Damage Control

Scott Kirby’s United-American “Merger” Statement Reads Like Damage Control

Today United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby published a lengthy press release under the unassuming title “Statement from United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby.” On the surface, it was a graceful concession…

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Accountability or Overreach? American’s Leaked Flight Attendant Scoring Plan avgeeks.aero/airlines/accoun…
Accountability or Overreach? American’s Leaked Flight Attendant Scoring Plan

Accountability or Overreach? American’s Leaked Flight Attendant Scoring Plan

A recently surfaced internal document suggests American Airlines is preparing to roll out a new performance tracking system for its flight attendants, one that would compile individual Net Promoter…

avgeeks.aero
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Hyatt’s CEO is Wrong: Hotel Loyalty Is Still About Perks, Not Experiences avgeeks.aero/hotels/hyatts-c…

Hyatt’s CEO is Wrong: Hotel Loyalty Is Still About Perks, Not Experiences

At the 2026 International Hospitality Investment Forum EMEA in Berlin, Hyatt President and CEO Mark Hoplamazian made a pointed argument about what keeps travelers coming back. He framed World of...

avgeeks.aero
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Why Do Pilots Meow on the Radio? avgeeks.aero/videos/why-do-p…
Why Do Pilots Meow on the Radio?

Why Do Pilots Meow on the Radio?

If you’ve been following aviation news lately, you’ve probably come across a rather bizarre story making the rounds. A video surfaced showing the air traffic control audio around Ronald Reagan…

avgeeks.aero
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Congress Passes the ALERT Act to Strengthen Aviation Safety avgeeks.aero/news/congress-p…
Congress Passes the ALERT Act to Strengthen Aviation Safety

Congress Passes the ALERT Act to Strengthen Aviation Safety

On a cold January evening in 2025, the skies above the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. became the scene of one of the most tragic aviation disasters in recent American history.

avgeeks.aero
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Runway to Ruin: Why the United-American Merger Talk Should Alarm Everyone avgeeks.aero/airlines/runway…

Runway to Ruin: Why the United-American Merger Talk Should Alarm Everyone

In aviation circles, few conversations ignite more debate than the prospect of a major airline merger. But when whispers began circulating that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has been quietly…

avgeeks.aero
5
Review: Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport avgeeks.aero/reviews/hotel-r…
Review: Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport

Review: Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport

Airport hotels are always a mixed bag, you never know what to expect from them. Some of them can be complete dumps and some of them can be fabulous upscale places to get some good night sleep.

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United’s Big Bet: 250 Planes, New Cabins, and a Premium Experience for Every Traveler avgeeks.aero/news/uniteds-bi…

United’s Big Bet: 250 Planes, New Cabins, and a Premium Experience for Every Traveler

If you’ve been paying attention to the aviation world lately, you already know United Airlines has been on a tear. But what the Chicago-based carrier unveiled today, isn’t just another fleet order…

avgeeks.aero
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Tragedy at LaGuardia: Jazz Flight AC8646 Collides with Fire Truck with Major Casualties Reported avgeeks.aero/news/tragedy-at…
Tragedy at LaGuardia: Jazz Flight AC8646 Collides with Fire Truck with Major Casualties Reported

Tragedy at LaGuardia: Jazz Flight AC8646 Collides with Fire Truck with Major Casualties Reported

UPDATE: LaGuarda airport officials confirm that both the captain and first officer received fatal injuries and passed away at the scene. As of now these are the only two reported fatalities along...

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Why Airplane Seats Are So Uncomfortable Today avgeeks.aero/airlines/why-ai…

Why Airplane Seats Are So Uncomfortable Today

Anyone who has flown in the last decade has probably had the same thought at some point: Were airplane seats always this uncomfortable? The answer is complicated, but the short version is no-seats…

avgeeks.aero
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Hyatt Announces Award Chart Changes: A Slap in the Face to Loyal Members avgeeks.aero/hotels/hyatt-an…
Hyatt Announces Award Chart Changes: A Slap in the Face to Loyal Members

Hyatt Announces Award Chart Changes: A Slap in the Face to Loyal Members

Loyalty programs are supposed to reward the people who stick around. You give a company your business, your nights in hotel beds, your credit card swipes, and in return you get something that feels…

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