COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitments The Company signed a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with the City of Houston (“City”), effective June 2012, to expand the existing Houston Hobby airport facility. As provided in the MOA, the Company and the City negotiated an Airport Use and Lease Agreement (“Lease”) to control the execution of this expansion and the financial terms thereof. Per the MOA and Lease, this project will consist of a new five-gate international terminal with international passenger processing facilities, expansion of the existing security checkpoint, and upgrades to the Southwest ticketing counter area. The project is estimated to cost $156 million, and the Company has agreed to provide the funding for, as well as management over, the project. In return, the Company will receive a monthly credit for the capital cost portions of the international terminal, from the date of initial occupancy of the terminal until expiration of the Lease. Additionally, some portion of the project is expected to qualify for rental credits that would be utilized upon completion of the facility against the Company’s current lease space at the airport. At any time after the completion of the project, the City may buy out the Company’s investment in the international terminal for the then-unamortized cost of the project. Construction began during third quarter 2013 and is estimated to be completed during the second half of 2015. As a result of its significant involvement in the project, the Company has evaluated its ongoing accounting requirements in consideration of accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction, and has determined that it qualifies as the accounting owner of the facility during the construction period. As such, during construction, the Company will record an asset within Ground property and equipment in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, and will account for these expenditures as part of capital expenditures within Investing activities in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The amounts recorded for third quarter 2013 were not material. During 2008, the City of Dallas approved the Love Field Modernization Program (“LFMP”), a project to reconstruct Dallas Love Field (“Airport”) with modern, convenient air travel facilities. Pursuant to a Program Development Agreement (“PDA”) with the City of Dallas and the Love Field Airport Modernization Corporation (or “LFAMC,” a Texas non-profit “local government corporation” established by the City of Dallas to act on the City of Dallas' behalf to facilitate the development of the LFMP), the Company is managing this project. Major construction commenced during 2010. New ticketing and checkin areas opened during fourth quarter 2012, and 11 new gates and new concessions opened in April 2013. Another new gate opened in July 2013, and full completion of the project is scheduled for second half 2014. The project consists of the complete replacement of gate facilities with a new 20-gate facility, including infrastructure, systems and equipment, aircraft parking apron, fueling system, roadways and terminal curbside, baggage handling systems, passenger loading bridges and support systems, and other supporting infrastructure. It is currently expected that the total construction costs associated with the LFMP project will be approximately $519 million. Although the City of Dallas has received commitments from various sources that are helping to fund portions of the LFMP project, including the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), the Transportation Security Administration, and the City of Dallas' Aviation Fund, the majority of the funds used are from the issuance of bonds. During fourth quarter 2010, $310 million of such bonds were issued by the LFAMC, and the Company has guaranteed principal and interest payments on the bonds. An additional tranche of such bonds totaling $146 million was issued during second quarter 2012, and the Company has guaranteed the principal and interest payments on these bonds as well. The Company currently expects that as a result of the funding commitments from the above mentioned sources and the bonds that have been issued thus far, no further bond issuances and related guarantees from the Company will be required to complete the LFMP project. In conjunction with the Company's significant presence at Dallas Love Field, its rights to occupy 16 of the available gates upon completion of the facility, and other factors, the Company agreed to manage the majority of the LFMP project. Based on these facts, the Company has evaluated its ongoing accounting requirements in consideration of accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction. The Company has recorded and will continue to record an asset and corresponding obligation for the cost of the LFMP project as the construction of the facility occurs. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had recorded LFMP construction costs of $415 million classified as an asset within Ground property and equipment and $420 million classified as a liability within Other non-current liabilities in its unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Upon completion of different phases of the LFMP project, the Company has placed the associated assets in service and has begun depreciating the assets over their estimated useful lives. The amount of depreciation recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, associated with the LFMP project was $3 million and $6 million, respectively. The corresponding LFMP liabilities will be reduced primarily through the Company's airport rental payments to the City of Dallas as the construction costs of the project are passed through to the Company via recurring airport rates and charges. Contingencies The Company is from time to time subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business, including, but not limited to, examinations by the IRS. The Company's management does not expect that the outcome in any of its currently ongoing legal proceedings or the outcome of any adjustments presented by the IRS, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

The Company signed a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with the City of Houston (“City”), effective June 2012, to expand the existing Houston Hobby airport facility. As provided in the MOA, the Company and the City negotiated an Airport Use and Lease Agreement (“Lease”) to control the execution of this expansion and the financial terms thereof. Per the MOA and Lease, this project will consist of a new five-gate international terminal with international passenger processing facilities, expansion of the existing security checkpoint, and upgrades to the Southwest ticketing counter area. The project is estimated to cost $156 million, and the Company has agreed to provide the funding for, as well as management over, the project. In return, the Company will receive a monthly credit for the capital cost portions of the international terminal, from the date of initial occupancy of the terminal until expiration of the Lease. Additionally, some portion of the project is expected to qualify for rental credits that would be utilized upon completion of the facility against the Company’s current lease space at the airport. At any time after the completion of the project, the City may buy out the Company’s investment in the international terminal for the then-unamortized cost of the project. Construction began during third quarter 2013 and is estimated to be completed during the second half of 2015.

As a result of its significant involvement in the project, the Company has evaluated its ongoing accounting requirements in consideration of accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction, and has determined that it qualifies as the accounting owner of the facility during the construction period. As such, during construction, the Company will record an asset within Ground property and equipment in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, and will account for these expenditures as part of capital expenditures within Investing activities in the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. The amounts recorded for third quarter 2013 were not material.

During 2008, the City of Dallas approved the Love Field Modernization Program (“LFMP”), a project to reconstruct Dallas Love Field (“Airport”) with modern, convenient air travel facilities. Pursuant to a Program Development Agreement (“PDA”) with the City of Dallas and the Love Field Airport Modernization Corporation (or “LFAMC,” a Texas non-profit “local government corporation” established by the City of Dallas to act on the City of Dallas' behalf to facilitate the development of the LFMP), the Company is managing this project. Major construction commenced during 2010. New ticketing and checkin areas opened during fourth quarter 2012, and 11 new gates and new concessions opened in April 2013. Another new gate opened in July 2013, and full completion of the project is scheduled for second half 2014. The project consists of the complete replacement of gate facilities with a new 20-gate facility, including infrastructure, systems and equipment, aircraft parking apron, fueling system, roadways and terminal curbside, baggage handling systems, passenger loading bridges and support systems, and other supporting infrastructure.

It is currently expected that the total construction costs associated with the LFMP project will be approximately $519 million. Although the City of Dallas has received commitments from various sources that are helping to fund portions of the LFMP project, including the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), the Transportation Security Administration, and the City of Dallas' Aviation Fund, the majority of the funds used are from the issuance of bonds. During fourth quarter 2010, $310 million of such bonds were issued by the LFAMC, and the Company has guaranteed principal and interest payments on the bonds. An additional tranche of such bonds totaling $146 million was issued during second quarter 2012, and the Company has guaranteed the principal and interest payments on these bonds as well. The Company currently expects that as a result of the funding commitments from the above mentioned sources and the bonds that have been issued thus far, no further bond issuances and related guarantees from the Company will be required to complete the LFMP project.

In conjunction with the Company's significant presence at Dallas Love Field, its rights to occupy 16 of the available gates upon completion of the facility, and other factors, the Company agreed to manage the majority of the LFMP project. Based on these facts, the Company has evaluated its ongoing accounting requirements in consideration of accounting guidance provided for lessees involved in asset construction. The Company has recorded and will continue to record an asset and corresponding obligation for the cost of the LFMP project as the construction of the facility occurs. As of September 30, 2013, the Company had recorded LFMP construction costs of $415 million classified as an asset within Ground property and equipment and $420 million classified as a liability within Other non-current liabilities in its unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Upon completion of different phases of the LFMP project, the Company has placed the associated assets in service and has begun depreciating the assets over their estimated useful lives. The amount of depreciation recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, associated with the LFMP project was $3 million and $6 million, respectively. The corresponding LFMP liabilities will be reduced primarily through the Company's airport rental payments to the City of Dallas as the construction costs of the project are passed through to the Company via recurring airport rates and charges.

Contingencies

The Company is from time to time subject to various legal proceedings and claims arising in the ordinary course of business, including, but not limited to, examinations by the IRS. The Company's management does not expect that the outcome in any of its currently ongoing legal proceedings or the outcome of any adjustments presented by the IRS, individually or collectively, will have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flow.