Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

NOTE 4—GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The following table presents information about the Company’s goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31 (in millions):


	Asset life (a)		2012				2011
Item	Asset life (a)		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization
Goodwill			$	4,523			$	4,523
Finite-lived intangible assets
Airport slots and gates		8	$	99	$	75	$	100	$	61
Hubs		20		145		52		145		44
Patents and tradenames		3		108		99		108		86
Frequent flyer databases (b)		22		1,177		447		1,177		381
Contracts		13		167		75		167		64
Other		25		109		44		109		34

Total			$	1,805	$	792	$	1,806	$	670

Indefinite-lived intangible assets
Airport slots and gates			$	981			$	1,011
Route authorities				1,606				1,606
Tradenames and logos				593				593
Alliances				404				404

Total			$	3,584			$	3,614

(a)	Weighted average life expressed in years.

(b)

The frequent flyer databases are amortized based on an accelerated amortization schedule to reflect utilization of the assets. Estimated cash flows correlating to the expected attrition rate of customers in the frequent flyer databases were considered in the determination of the amortization schedules.

The following table presents information related to the Company’s actual and expected future amortization expense (in millions):


Actual Amortization:
2012	$	121
2011		169
2010		96

Projected Amortization:
2013	$	142
2014		129
2015		106
2016		91
2017		81

See Note 20 for information related to impairment of intangible assets.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

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