Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

The following table shows the components of net periodic cost:

	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
	Three Months Ended March 31,
(in millions)	2012			2011			2012			2011
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	15		$	13
Interest cost	232			242			41			45
Expected return on plan assets	(176		)	(181		)	(19		)	(23		)
Amortization of prior service benefit	—			—			(3		)	—
Recognized net actuarial loss (gain)	36			14			6			(3		)
Net periodic cost	$	92		$	75		$	40		$	32

In the March 2012 quarter, we remeasured our postretirement healthcare obligation to account for changes to retiree medical benefits resulting from the final integration of wages and benefits following our merger with Northwest Airlines. As a result, we recorded other comprehensive income of $88 million and a corresponding reduction of the liability.