Long Term Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes scheduled maturities of our debt, including current maturities, at December 31, 2011:

Years Ending December 31, (in millions)	Total Secured and Unsecured Debt		Amortization of Debt Discount, net
2012	$	1,925	$	(199	)
2013	1,558		(157		)
2014	2,286		(104		)
2015	1,347		(75		)
2016	1,240		(66		)
Thereafter	5,441		(136		)
Total	$	13,797	$	(737	)	$	13,060

Schedule of Line of Credit Facilities [Table Text Block]

The table below shows our availability under revolving credit facilities as of December 31, 2011:

(in millions)	December 31, 2011
Revolving Credit Facility, due 2016	$	1,225
Pacific Routes Revolving Facility, due 2013	500
Bank Revolving Credit Facility, due 2012	100
Total availability under revolving credit facilities	$	1,825

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]

	Senior Secured Credit Facilities	Senior Secured Pacific Facilities	Senior Secured Notes	Senior Second Lien Notes
Minimum Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (1)	1.20:1	1.20:1	n/a	n/a
Minimum Unrestricted Liquidity
Unrestricted cash and permitted investments	$1.0 billion	n/a	n/a	n/a
Unrestricted cash, permitted investments, and undrawn revolving credit facilities	$2.0 billion	$2.0 billion	n/a	n/a
Minimum Collateral Coverage Ratio (2)	1.67:1 (3)	1.60:1	1.60:1	1.00:1

	December 31,
(in millions)	2011			2010
Total debt at par value	$	13,797		$	15,442
Unamortized discount, net	(737		)	(935		)
Net carrying amount	$	13,060		$	14,507
Fair value	$	13,600		$	15,400

(In millions, unless otherwise stated)	Proceeds Received								Fixed Interest Rate	Offering Completion Date	Final Maturity Date	Collateral
	2011		2010		2009		Total Principal
2011-1A	$	293	$	—	$	—	$	293	5.300%	April 2011	April 2019	26 aircraft
2011-1B	102		—		—		102		7.125%	August 2011	October 2014	26 aircraft	(1)
2010-2A	204		270		—		474		4.950%	November 2010	May 2019	28 aircraft
2010-2B	135		—		—		135		6.750%	February 2011	November 2015	28 aircraft	(1)
2010-1A	—		450		—		450		6.200%	July 2010	July 2018	24 aircraft
2010-1B	100		—		—		100		6.375%	February 2011	January 2016	24 aircraft	(1)
2009-1A	—		288		281		569		7.750%	November 2009	December 2019	27 aircraft
2009-1B	—		59		61		120		9.750%	November 2009	December 2016	27 aircraft	(1)
Total	$	834	$	1,067	$	342	$	2,243

The following table summarizes our long-term debt:

	Interest Rate(s) per Annum		December 31,
(in millions)	at December 31, 2011		2011			2010
Senior Secured Credit Facilities:
Term Loan Facility, due 2017	5.50%	variable (1)	$	1,368		$	—
Revolving Credit Facility, due 2016	undrawn	variable (1)	—			—
Senior Secured Exit Financing Facilities, due 2012 and 2014	n/a		—			1,450
Senior Secured Pacific Facilities:
Pacific Routes Term Facility, due 2016	4.25%	variable (1)	248			247
Pacific Routes Revolving Facility, due 2013	undrawn	variable (1)	—			—
Senior Secured Notes, due 2014	9.50%	fixed	600			675
Senior Second Lien Notes, due 2015	12.25%	fixed	306			397
Bank Revolving Credit Facilities, due 2012	undrawn	variable (1)	—			—
Other Secured Financing Arrangements:
Certificates, due in installments from 2012 to 2023	0.92% to 9.75%		4,677			5,310
Aircraft financings, due in installments from 2012 to 2025 (2)	0.86% to 6.76%		4,570			5,170
Other secured financings, due in installments from 2012 to 2031 (3)	2.25% to 6.12%		721			810
Total secured debt			12,490			14,059
American Express - Advance Purchase of SkyMiles (4)			952			1,000
Other unsecured debt, due in installments from 2012 to 2035	3.00% to 9.07%		355			383
Total unsecured debt			1,307			1,383
Total secured and unsecured debt			13,797			15,442
Unamortized discount, net			(737		)	(935		)
Total debt			13,060			14,507
Less: current maturities			(1,827		)	(1,954		)
Total long-term debt			$	11,233		$	12,553

⁽¹⁾  Interest rate equal to LIBOR (subject to a floor) or another index rate, in each case plus a specified margin.

⁽²⁾  Secured by an aggregate of 269 aircraft.

⁽³⁾  Primarily includes manufacturer term loans secured by spare parts, spare engines and aircraft, and real estate loans.

⁽⁴⁾  For additional information about our debt associated with American Express, see Note 6.