Revenue Recognition

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

REVENUE RECOGNITION

Passenger Revenue

Passenger revenue is primarily composed of passenger ticket sales, loyalty travel awards and travel-related services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight.



	Three Months Ended March 31,
(in millions)	2019		2018
Ticket	$	7,988	$	7,653
Loyalty travel awards	692		618
Travel-related services	574		494
Total passenger revenue	$	9,254	$	8,765

We recognized approximately $2.7 billion in passenger revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2019 that was recorded in our air traffic liability balance at December 31, 2018. We expect the remaining balance of the December 31, 2018 liability to be recognized by the end of 2019.

Other Revenue



	Three Months Ended March 31,
(in millions)	2019		2018
Loyalty program	$	474	$	347
Ancillary businesses and refinery	369		521
Miscellaneous	183		133
Total other revenue	$	1,026	$	1,001

Loyalty Program

Our SkyMiles loyalty program generates customer loyalty by rewarding customers with incentives to travel on Delta. This program allows customers to earn mileage credits by flying on Delta, Delta Connection and other airlines that participate in the loyalty program. When traveling, customers earn redeemable mileage credits based on the passenger's loyalty program status and ticket price. Customers can also earn mileage credits through participating companies such as credit card companies, hotels and car rental agencies. To facilitate transactions with participating companies, we sell mileage credits to non-airline businesses, customers and other airlines. Mileage credits are redeemable by customers in future periods for air travel on Delta and other participating airlines, membership in our Sky Club and other program awards. During the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, total cash sales from marketing agreements related to our loyalty program were $980 million and $841 million, respectively, which are allocated to travel and other performance obligations.

Our most significant contract to sell mileage credits relates to our co-brand credit card relationship with American Express. Our agreements with American Express provide for joint marketing, grant certain benefits to Delta-American Express co-branded credit card holders ("cardholders") and American Express Membership Rewards program participants, and allow American Express to market its services or products using our customer database. Cardholders earn mileage credits for making purchases using co-branded cards, and certain cardholders may also check their first bag for free, are granted discounted access to Delta Sky Club lounges and receive priority boarding and other benefits while traveling on Delta. Additionally, participants in the American Express Membership Rewards program may exchange their points for mileage credits under the loyalty program. We sell mileage credits at agreed-upon rates to American Express which are then provided to their customers under the co-brand credit card program and the Membership Rewards program.

We account for marketing agreements, including those with American Express, consistent with the accounting method that allocates the consideration received to the individual products and services delivered. We allocate the value based on the relative selling prices of those products and services, which generally consist of award travel, priority boarding, baggage fee waivers, lounge access and the use of our brand. We determined our best estimate of the selling prices by considering a discounted cash flow analysis using multiple inputs and assumptions, including: (1) the expected number of miles awarded and number of miles redeemed, (2) equivalent ticket value ("ETV") for the award travel obligation, (3) published rates on our website for baggage fees, discounted access to Delta Sky Club lounges and other benefits while traveling on Delta and (4) brand value.

Effective January 1, 2019, we amended our co-brand agreement with American Express, and we also amended other agreements with American Express during the March quarter. The new agreements increase the value we receive and extend the terms to 2029. The products and services delivered are consistent with previous agreements, and we continue to use the accounting method that allocates the consideration received based on the relative selling prices of those products and services.

We defer the amount for award travel obligation as part of loyalty program deferred revenue and recognize loyalty travel awards in passenger revenue as the mileage credits are used for travel. Revenue allocated to services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight, such as baggage fee waivers, is recognized as travel-related services in passenger revenue when the related service is performed. Revenue allocated to access Delta Sky Club lounges is recognized as miscellaneous in other revenue as access is provided. Revenue allocated to the remaining performance obligations, primarily brand value, is recorded as loyalty program in other revenue over time as miles are delivered.

Current Activity of the Loyalty Program. Mileage credits are combined in one homogeneous pool and are not separately identifiable. As such, the revenue is comprised of miles that were part of the loyalty deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period as well as miles that were issued during the period.

The table below presents the activity of the current and noncurrent loyalty liability and includes miles earned through travel and miles sold to participating companies, which are primarily through marketing agreements.



(in millions)	2019			2018
Balance at January 1	$	6,641		$	6,321
Mileage credits earned	720			731
Travel mileage credits redeemed	(692		)	(618		)
Non-travel mileage credits redeemed	(45		)	(40		)
Balance at March 31	$	6,624		$	6,394

The timing of mileage redemptions can vary widely; however, the majority of new miles are redeemed within two years.

Revenue by Geographic Region

Operating revenue for the airline segment is recognized in a specific geographic region based on the origin, flight path and destination of each flight segment. The majority of the revenues of the refinery, consisting of fuel sales to the airline, have been eliminated in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The remaining operating revenue for the refinery segment is included in the domestic region. Our passenger and operating revenue by geographic region (as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation) is summarized in the following table:



	Passenger Revenue				Operating Revenue
	Three Months Ended March 31,				Three Months Ended March 31,
(in millions)	2019		2018		2019		2018
Domestic	$	6,713	$	6,282	$	7,487	$	7,111
Atlantic	1,103		1,070		1,316		1,253
Latin America	855		830		964		917
Pacific	583		583		705		687
Total	$	9,254	$	8,765	$	10,472	$	9,968