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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
We sponsor defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, healthcare plans and disability and survivorship plans for eligible employees and retirees and their eligible family members.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans. We sponsor defined benefit pension plans for eligible employees and retirees. These plans are generally closed to new entrants and frozen for future benefit accruals. Our funding obligations for qualified defined benefit plans are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and any applicable legislation. Under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, we elected alternative funding rules so that the unfunded liability for a frozen defined benefit plan may be amortized over a fixed 17-year period and is calculated using an 8.85% discount rate until the 17-year period expires for all frozen defined benefit plans by the end of 2024. Upon expiration, under legislation passed in 2021, any required funding would be amortized over a rolling 15-year period and calculated using a discount rate of no less than 4.75% through 2030. We have no minimum funding requirements for these plans in 2024 and do not plan to make voluntary contributions during 2024.

During 2023, we established a market based cash balance defined benefit pension plan for eligible pilots that is funded by company contributions in excess of IRS limits in the 401(k) plan. Prior to 2023, these contributions were reflected in our cost associated with the defined contribution pension plans shown below. The company funds the plan with cash contributions as benefits are earned and invests those assets. The participants’ benefit is the sum of the contributions made on their behalf plus any positive return on the invested contributions.

Defined Contribution Pension Plans. We sponsor several defined contribution plans. These plans generally cover different employee groups and employer contributions vary by plan. The costs associated with our defined contribution pension plans were approximately $1.2 billion, $1.0 billion and $875 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Postretirement Healthcare Plans. We sponsor healthcare plans that provide benefits to eligible retirees and their dependents who are under age 65. We have generally eliminated company-paid post age 65 healthcare coverage, except for (1) subsidies available to a limited group of retirees and their dependents, (2) a group of retirees who retired prior to 1987 and (3) retiree medical accounts which provide a fixed dollar amount to eligible employees who retired under the 2012 voluntary workforce reduction programs or under the 2020 voluntary early retirement and separation programs ("voluntary programs").

Postemployment Plans. We provide certain other welfare benefits to eligible former or inactive employees after employment but before retirement, primarily as part of the disability and survivorship plans. Substantially all employees are eligible for benefits under these plans in the event of death and/or disability.

Benefits under our postretirement and post employment plans are funded from current assets and employee contributions.
Benefit Obligations, Fair Value of Plan Assets and Funded Status
Pension BenefitsOther Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
December 31,December 31,
(in millions)2023202220232022
Benefit obligation at beginning of period$15,811 $21,073 $3,664 $4,605 
Service cost95 — 71 70 
Interest cost855 611 200 128 
Actuarial loss/(gain)351 (4,599)24 (710)
Benefits paid, including lump sums and annuities(1,201)(1,274)(485)(447)
Plan amendments— — 11 — 
Participant contributions— — 18 18 
Benefit obligation at end of period(1)
$15,911 $15,811 $3,503 $3,664 
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of period$15,721 $19,502 $71 $357 
Actual gain/(loss) on plan assets1,142 (2,517)3 (73)
Employer contributions104 10 426 216 
Participant contributions— — 18 18 
Benefits paid, including lump sums and annuities(1,201)(1,274)(485)(447)
Fair value of plan assets at end of period$15,766 $15,721 $33 $71 
Funded status at end of period$(145)$(90)$(3,470)$(3,593)
(1) At the end of each year presented, our accumulated benefit obligations for our pension plans are equal to the benefit obligations shown above.

During 2023, net actuarial losses increased our benefit obligation primarily due to the decrease in discount rates while net actuarial gains decreased our benefit obligation primarily due to the increase in discount rates during 2022. These gains and losses are recorded in AOCI and reflected in the table below. Amounts are generally amortized from AOCI over the expected future lifetime of plan participants.

Balance Sheet Position
Pension BenefitsOther Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
December 31,December 31,
(in millions)2023202220232022
Prepaid pension assets$22 $27 $— $— 
Current liabilities(9)(9)(404)(369)
Noncurrent liabilities(158)(108)(3,066)(3,224)
Funded status at end of period$(145)$(90)$(3,470)$(3,593)
Net actuarial (loss)/gain$(6,474)$(6,444)$(162)$(155)
Prior service credit— — 1 18 
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, pre-tax$(6,474)$(6,444)$(161)$(137)

Certain pension plans have benefit obligations in excess of plan assets. These plans have aggregate projected benefit obligations of $8.6 billion and aggregate fair value of plan assets of $8.4 billion at December 31, 2023.
Net Periodic Cost/(Benefit)
Pension BenefitsOther Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
Year Ended December 31,Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)202320222021202320222021
Service cost$95 $— $— $71 $70 $86 
Interest cost855 611 582 200 128 117 
Expected return on plan assets(1,060)(1,319)(1,522)(1)(17)(34)
Amortization of prior service credit— — — (5)(5)(6)
Recognized net actuarial loss240 255 354 14 56 55 
Settlements— — 2 — — — 
Net periodic cost/(benefit)
$130 $(453)$(584)$279 $232 $218 

Service cost is recorded in salaries and related costs in the income statement, while all other components are recorded within pension and related (expense)/benefit under non-operating expense. Service cost listed under Pension Benefits relates solely to the new market based cash balance defined benefit pension plan discussed above.

Assumptions

We used the following actuarial assumptions to determine our benefit obligations and our net periodic cost/(benefit) for the periods presented:
December 31,
Benefit Obligations(1)
20232022
Weighted average discount rate5.31 %5.62 %

Year Ended December 31,
Net Periodic Cost/(Benefit)(1)
202320222021
Weighted average discount rate5.59 %2.96 %2.61 %
Weighted average expected long-term rate of return on plan assets7.00 %7.00 %8.98 %
Assumed healthcare cost trend rate for the next year(2)
6.25 %6.50 %6.25 %
(1)Future employee compensation levels do not impact our frozen defined benefit pension plans or other postretirement plans and impact only a small portion of our other postemployment obligation.
(2)Healthcare cost trend rate is assumed to decline gradually to 5.00% by 2029 and remain unchanged thereafter.

Expected Long-Term Rate of Return. Our expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based primarily on plan-specific investment studies using historical market return and volatility data. Modest excess return expectations versus some public market indices are incorporated into the return projections based on the actively managed structure of the investment programs and their records of achieving such returns historically. We also expect to receive a premium for investing in less liquid private markets. We review our rate of return on plan assets assumptions annually. Our annual investment performance for one particular year does not, by itself, significantly influence our evaluation. The investment strategy for our defined benefit pension plan assets is to earn a long-term return that meets or exceeds our annualized return target while taking an acceptable level of risk and maintaining sufficient liquidity to pay current benefits and other cash obligations of the plan. This is achieved by investing in a globally diversified mix of public and private equity, fixed income, real assets, hedge funds and other assets and instruments. Our weighted average expected long-term rate of return on assets for net periodic cost/(benefit) for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 7.00%.

Life Expectancy. Changes in life expectancy may significantly impact our benefit obligations and future net periodic cost/(benefit). Each year we review information published by the Society of Actuaries and other publicly available information to develop our best estimate of life expectancy for purposes of measuring pension and other postretirement and postemployment benefit obligations.
Benefit Payments

Benefit payments in the table below are based on the same assumptions used to measure the related benefit obligations. Actual benefit payments may vary significantly from these estimates. Benefits earned under our pension plans are expected to be paid from funded benefit plan trusts, while our other postretirement and postemployment benefits are funded from current assets.

The following table summarizes the benefit payments that are expected to be paid in the years ending December 31:

Expected future benefit payments
(in millions)Pension BenefitsOther Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
2024$1,310 $450 
20251,350 440 
20261,350 440 
20271,360 440 
20281,360 450 
2029-20336,670 2,190 

Plan Assets

We have adopted and implemented investment policies for our defined benefit pension plans that incorporate strategic asset allocation mixes intended to best meet the plans' long-term obligations, while maintaining an appropriate level of risk and liquidity. These asset portfolios employ a diversified mix of investments, which are reviewed periodically. Active management strategies are utilized where feasible in an effort to realize investment returns in excess of market indices. Derivatives in the plans are primarily used to manage risk and gain asset class exposure while still maintaining liquidity. As part of these strategies, the plans are required to hold cash collateral associated with certain derivatives. Our investment strategies target a mix of 20-40% growth-seeking assets, 25-35% income-generating assets and 35-45% risk-diversifying assets. Risk diversifying assets include hedge funds implementing long-short, market neutral and relative value strategies that invest primarily in publicly-traded equity, fixed income, foreign currency and commodity securities and are used to improve the impact of active management on the plans.

Benefit Plan Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Benefit plan assets relate to our defined benefit pension plans and certain of our postemployment benefit plans. These investments are presented net of the related benefit obligation in either other noncurrent assets or pension, postretirement and related benefits on the balance sheets depending on the funded status of each plan. See Note 3, "Fair Value Measurements," for a description of the levels within the fair value hierarchy and associated valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The following table shows our benefit plan assets by asset class.

Benefit plan assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022Valuation Technique
(in millions)Level 1Level 2TotalLevel 1Level 2Total
Fixed income and fixed income-related instruments$300 $1,858 $2,158 $77 $1,366 $1,443 (a)(b)
Cash equivalents471 685 1,156 629 265 894 (a)
Equities and equity-related instruments647 122 769 420 25 445 (a)
Delta common stock419 — 419 343 — 343 (a)
Real assets11 236 247 17 170 187 (a)
Benefit plan assets$1,848 $2,901 $4,749 $1,486 $1,826 $3,312 
Investments measured at net asset value ("NAV")(1)
11,417 12,329 
Total benefit plan assets$16,166 $15,641 
(1) Investments that were measured at NAV per share (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy.
Fixed Income and Fixed Income-Related Instruments. These investments include corporate bonds, government bonds, collateralized mortgage obligations and other asset-backed securities, and are generally valued at the bid price or the average of the bid and ask price. Prices are based on pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or broker quotes. Fixed income-related instruments include investments in securities traded on exchanges, including listed futures and options, which are valued at the last reported sale prices on the last business day of the year, or if not available, the last reported bid prices. Over-the-counter securities are valued at the bid prices or the average of the bid and ask prices on the last business day of the year from published sources or, if not available, from other sources considered reliable, generally broker quotes.

Cash Equivalents. These investments primarily consist of high-quality, short-term obligations that are a part of institutional money market mutual funds that are valued using current market quotations or an appropriate substitute that reflects current market conditions.

Equities and Equity-Related Instruments. These investments include common stock and equity-related instruments. Common stock is valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded. Equity-related instruments include investments in securities traded on exchanges, including listed futures and options, which are valued at the last reported sale prices on the last business day of the year or, if not available, the last reported bid prices. Over-the-counter securities are valued at the bid prices or the average of the bid and ask prices on the last business day of the year from published sources or, if not available, from other sources considered reliable, generally broker quotes.

Delta Common Stock. The Delta common stock investment is managed by an independent fiduciary.

Real Assets. These investments include commodities such as precious metals and precious metals-related instruments, some of which are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual instruments are traded, while others are priced based on pricing models, quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics or broker quotes.

The following table summarizes investments measured at fair value based on NAV per share as a practical expedient:

Benefit plan investment assets measured at NAV
December 31, 2023December 31, 2022
(in millions)Fair ValueRedemption FrequencyRedemption Notice PeriodFair ValueRedemption FrequencyRedemption Notice Period
Hedge funds and hedge fund-related strategies$6,175 (1)
7-180 Days
$6,730 (1)
2-180 Days
Commingled funds, private equity and private equity-related instruments (4)
2,379 (1) (2)
0-45 Days
2,266 (1) (2)
2-45 Days
Fixed income and fixed income-related instruments(4)
1,147 (1)
1-180 Days
1,003 (1)
1-180 Days
Real assets (4)
893 (2)N/A819 (2)N/A
Other823 (3)
2-10 Days
1,511 (3)
2-10 Days
Total investments measured at NAV$11,417 $12,329 
(1)Various. Includes funds with monthly or more frequent, quarterly and/or custom redemption frequencies as well as funds with a redemption window following the anniversary of the initial investment.
(2)Includes private funds that are closed-ended structures in which the plans' investments are generally not eligible for redemption.
(3)Includes funds with monthly or more frequent redemptions.
(4)Unfunded commitments were $1.3 billion for commingled funds, private equity and private equity-related instruments, $296 million for fixed income and fixed income-related instruments and $584 million for real assets at December 31, 2023.

On an annual basis we assess the potential for adjustments to the fair value of all investments. This primarily applies to private equity, private equity-related strategies and real assets. Due to a lag in the availability of data for certain of these investments, we solicit valuation updates from the investment fund managers and use their information and corroborating data from public markets to determine any needed fair value adjustments.

Hedge Funds and Hedge Fund-Related Strategies. These investments are primarily made through shares of limited partnerships or similar structures for which a liquid secondary market does not exist.

Commingled Funds, Private Equity and Private Equity-Related Instruments. These investments include commingled funds invested in common stock, as well as private equity and private equity-related instruments. Commingled funds are valued based on quoted market prices of the underlying assets owned by the fund. Private equity and private equity-related instruments are typically valued quarterly by the fund managers using valuation models where one or more of the significant inputs into the model cannot be observed and which require the development of assumptions.
Fixed Income and Fixed Income-Related Instruments. These investments include private fixed income instruments that are typically valued monthly or quarterly by the fund managers or third-party valuation agents using valuation models where one or more of significant inputs into the model cannot be observed and which require the development of assumptions.

Real Assets. These investments include real estate, energy transition, timberland, agriculture and infrastructure. The valuation of real assets requires significant judgment due to the absence of quoted market prices as well as the inherent lack of liquidity and the long-term nature of these assets. Real assets are typically valued quarterly by the fund managers using valuation models where one or more of the significant inputs into the model cannot be observed and which require the development of assumptions.

Other. Primarily includes globally-diversified, risk-managed commingled funds consisting mainly of equity, fixed income and commodity exposures.

Other

We also sponsor defined benefit pension plans for eligible employees in certain foreign countries. These plans did not have a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements in any period presented.

Profit Sharing Program

Our broad-based employee profit sharing program provides that, for each year in which we have an annual pre-tax profit, as defined by the terms of the program, we will pay a specified portion of that profit to employees. In determining the amount of profit sharing, the program defines profit as pre-tax profit adjusted for profit sharing and certain other items.
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded profit sharing expense of $1.4 billion and $563 million under the program, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded a special profit sharing expense of $108 million, based on the adjusted pre-tax profit earned during the second half of the year, to recognize the extraordinary efforts of our employees through the pandemic.