(13)Stock Plans:

At March 31, 2017, we had six stock-based compensation plans under which grants were made and awards remained outstanding. No further awards may be granted under five of the plans: the 1996 Equity Incentive Plan (the 1996 EIP), the Amended and Restated 2000 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2000 EIP), the 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2009 EIP), the Deferred Fee Plan and the Directors’ Equity Plan. At March 31, 2017, there were 20,000,000 shares authorized for grant and 295,000 shares available for grant under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2013 EIP and together with the 1996 EIP, the 2000 EIP and the 2009 EIP, the EIPs). Our general policy is to issue treasury shares upon the grant of restricted shares and the exercise of options.

Performance Shares

On February 16, 2017, the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors granted approximately 2,361,000 performance shares under the Frontier Long Term Incentive Plan (the LTIP) and set the operating cash flow performance goal for 2017, which applies to the first year in the 2017-2019 measurement period, the second year of the 2016-2018 measurement period and the third year of the 2015-2017 measurement period.

The following summary presents information regarding LTIP target performance shares as of March 31, 2017 and changes during the three months then ended with regard to LTIP shares awarded under the 2009 EIP and the 2013 EIP:



		Number of
		Shares
		(in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2017		2,859
LTIP target performance shares granted, net		2,118
LTIP target performance shares earned		(617)
LTIP target performance shares forfeited		(64)
Balance at March 31, 2017		4,296

For purposes of determining compensation expense, the fair value of each performance share is measured at the end of each reporting period and, therefore, will fluctuate based on the price of Frontier common stock as well as performance relative to the targets. For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, we recognized compensation expense, reflected in “Selling, general and administrative expenses,” of $(1) million and $1 million, respectively, for the LTIP.

Restricted Stock

The following summary presents information regarding unvested restricted stock as of March 31, 2017 and changes during the three months then ended with regard to restricted stock granted under the 2009 EIP and the 2013 EIP:



		Weighted
		Average
	Number of	Grant Date		Aggregate
	Shares	Fair Value		Fair Value
	(in thousands)	(per share)		(in millions)
Balance at January 1, 2017	8,356	$	5.20	$	28
Restricted stock granted	6,461	$	3.33	$	14
Restricted stock vested	(3,230)	$	5.31	$	7
Restricted stock forfeited	(150)	$	4.72
Balance at March 31, 2017	11,437	$	4.12	$	24

For purposes of determining compensation expense, the fair value of each restricted stock grant is estimated based on the average of the high and low market price of a share of our common stock on the date of grant. Total remaining unrecognized compensation cost associated with unvested restricted stock awards that is deferred at March 31, 2017 was $41 million, and the weighted average vesting period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is approximately 2 years.

Shares of restricted stock granted during the first three months of 2016 totaled 4,617,000. The total fair value of shares of restricted stock granted and vested at March 31, 2016 was approximately $26 million and $20 million, respectively. The total fair value of unvested restricted stock at March 31, 2016 was $45 million. The weighted average grant date fair value of restricted shares granted during the three months ended March 31, 2016 was $4.17 per share.

We have granted restricted stock awards to employees in the form of our common stock. None of the restricted stock awards may be sold, assigned, pledged or otherwise transferred, voluntarily or involuntarily, by the employees until the restrictions lapse, subject to limited exceptions. The restrictions are time-based. Compensation expense, recognized in “Selling, general and administrative expenses,” of $4 million for each of the three month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, has been recorded in connection with these grants.