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Recently Issued Accounting Standards
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Recently Issued Accounting Standards

NOTE 1 - RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) amended the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and created a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This amendment prescribes that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The amendment supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Accounting Standards Codification. The Company will use the full-retrospective approach in adopting this standard on January 1, 2018. We have reached conclusions on the applicability of the standard on accounting for contracts with customers. The standard impacts the classification of certain revenue streams and affects the timing of revenue and expense recognition for others. The most significant impact is the reclassification of certain ancillary fees from other operating revenue into passenger revenue on the statement of consolidated operations. For 2016, the amount to be reclassified at adoption of the new standard from other operating revenue into passenger revenue under Topic 606 is approximately $2.0 billion. These ancillary fees are directly related to passenger travel, such as ticket change fees and baggage fees and will no longer be considered distinct performance obligations separate from the passenger travel component. In addition, the ticket change fees, which were previously recognized when received, will be recognized when transportation is provided. While the classification of certain transactions within operating revenue and between operating revenue and operating expenses will change, the Company believes that the adoption of the standard will not have a material impact on its earnings.

In February 2016, the FASB amended the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and created a new Topic 842, Leases (“Topic 842”). The guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date and recognize expenses on their income statements similar to the current Topic 840, Leases. It is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. Lessees and lessors are required to adopt Topic 842 using a modified retrospective approach for all leases existing at or commencing after the date of initial application with an option to use certain practical expedients. We have not completed our evaluation of the impact but believe this standard will have a significant impact on our consolidated balance sheets but is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or cash flows. The primary effect of adopting the new standard will be to record assets and obligations for its operating leases.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10) (“ASU 2016-01”). This standard makes several changes, including the elimination of the available-for-sale classification of equity investments, and requires equity investments with readily determinable fair values to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. It is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Based on its portfolio of investments as of September 30, 2017, the Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2016-01 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (“ASU 2017-07”). The update requires employers to present the service cost component of the net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. The other components of net benefit cost, including interest cost, expected return on plan assets, amortization of prior service cost/credit and actuarial gain/loss, and settlement and curtailment effects, are to be presented outside of any subtotal of operating income. Employers will have to disclose the line(s) used to present the other components of net periodic benefit cost, if the components are not presented separately in the income statement. ASU 2017-07 is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2017-07 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.