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LONG-TERM DEBT
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]  
LONG-TERM DEBT
LONG-TERM DEBT
 
(in millions)
 
December 31, 2014
 
December 31, 2013
5.25% Notes due 2014
 

 
357

5.75% Notes due 2016
 
313

 
320

5.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2016
 
113

 
115

5.125% Notes due 2017
 
316

 
322

Fixed-rate 717 Aircraft Notes payable through 2017—10.37%
 

 
41

French Credit Agreements due 2018—1.06%
 
36

 
46

Fixed-rate 737 Aircraft Notes payable through 2018—7.02%
 
24

 
30

2.75% Notes due 2019
 
300

 

Term Loan Agreement due 2019—6.315%
 
178

 
210

Term Loan Agreement due 2019—6.84%
 
73

 
85

Term Loan Agreement due 2020—5.223%
 
372

 
413

Floating-rate 737 Aircraft Notes payable through 2020
 
300

 
340

Pass Through Certificates due 2022—6.24%
 
355

 
371

7.375% Debentures due 2027
 
134

 
136

Capital leases (Note 7)
 
199

 
56

 
 
$
2,713

 
$
2,842

Less current maturities
 
258

 
629

Less debt discount and issuance costs
 
21

 
22

 
 
$
2,434

 
$
2,191



AirTran Long-Term Debt
      
AirTran Holdings previously entered into aircraft purchase financing facilities, under which a total of 22 737-700 aircraft were financed as of December 31, 2014.

As of December 31, 2014, after prepaying aircraft secured term loans for eight aircraft during 2012 and the first half of 2013, 19 Boeing 737 aircraft remain that were financed under floating-rate facilities. Each note is secured by a first mortgage on the aircraft to which it relates. The notes bear interest at a floating rate per annum equal to a margin plus the three or six-month LIBOR in effect at the commencement of each semi-annual or three-month period, as applicable. As of December 31, 2014, the weighted average interest rate was 1.66 percent. Principal and interest under the notes are payable semi-annually or every three months as applicable. As of December 31, 2014, the remaining debt outstanding may be prepaid without penalty under all aircraft loans provided under such facilities. The notes mature in years 2016 to 2020. As discussed further in Note 10, a portion of the above floating-rate debt has been effectively converted to a fixed rate via interest rate swap agreements which expire between 2016 and 2020.

As of December 31, 2014, three Boeing 737 aircraft were financed under a fixed-rate facility. Each note is secured by a first mortgage on the aircraft to which it relates. As of December 31, 2014, the weighted average interest rate was 7.02 percent. Payments of principal and interest under the notes are due semi-annually. The notes mature in years 2016 to 2018.

As of December 31, 2014, Boeing 717 aircraft previously pledged as collateral for the obligations related to enhanced equipment trust certificates (EETCs) were paid in full. On April 1, 2014, the Company prepaid a portion of its Fixed-rate 717 Aircraft Notes payable in the amount of $35 million prior to their 2017 maturity date. On October 1, 2014, the Company prepaid the remainder of its Fixed-rate 717 Aircraft Notes payable in the amount of $7 million. As a result of the early repayment, the Company incurred a $6 million make-whole penalty, representing the present value of the future interest payments on the notes, which is reflected as a component of Interest expense in the Consolidated Statement of Income. In addition, the Company wrote off the remainder of its unamortized debt premium associated with these notes in second quarter 2014, in the amount of $5 million, which is reflected as a reduction to Interest expense in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

In October 2009, AirTran Holdings completed a public offering of $115 million of convertible senior notes due in 2016. Such notes bear interest at 5.25 percent payable semi-annually, in arrears, on May 1 and November 1. As a result of the acquisition and subsequent dividends declared by the Company, the convertible senior notes are convertible into AirTran conversion units of 167.5224 per $1,000 in principal amount of such notes. Based on the terms of the merger agreement, the holders of these notes would receive shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion rate of 53.7747 shares and $615.16 in cash per $1,000 in principal amount of such notes. This conversion rate is subject to adjustment under certain circumstances such as: granting of stock and cash dividends, a make-whole fundamental change of ownership provision, the issuance of rights or warrants, and/or a distribution of capital stock. Subsequent to the acquisition, holders of $5 million in principal amount elected to convert their notes. Remaining holders may convert their convertible senior notes into cash and shares of common stock at their option at any time. As such, the Company has classified $68 million, which is the cash portion the Company would be required to pay upon conversion, as current maturities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The convertible senior notes are not redeemable at the Company’s option prior to maturity. The holders of the convertible senior notes may require the Company to repurchase such notes, in whole or in part, for cash upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, as defined in the governing supplemental indenture, at a repurchase price of 100 percent of the principal amount plus any accrued and unpaid interest.

As a result of triggering the fundamental change of ownership provision in the convertible senior notes and as a result of the acquisition, an embedded conversion option is deemed to exist. In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the embedded conversion option was effectively separated and accounted for as a free-standing derivative. A fair value calculation, utilizing similar market yields and the Company’s common stock price, was performed for the debt with and without the equity to measure the equity component. The value allocated to the conversion option of $35 million is classified as permanent equity. The estimated premium associated with the notes excluding the equity feature was $10 million, and is being amortized to interest expense over the remaining life of the notes. The dilutive effect of the shares that would be issued if the convertible notes were converted is considered in the Company’s net income per share calculations, unless such conversion would be considered antidilutive. See Note 3.

Other Company Long-Term Debt

During November 2014, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2019. The notes bear interest at 2.75 percent, payable semi-annually in arrears on May 6 and November 6. Concurrently, the Company entered into a fixed-to-floating interest rate swap to convert the interest on these unsecured notes to a floating rate until their maturity. See Note 10 for further information on the interest-rate swap agreement.

On April 29, 2009, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $332 million, to be secured by mortgages on 14 of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. The Company borrowed the full $332 million and secured the loan with the requisite 14 aircraft mortgages. The loan matures on May 6, 2019, and is being repaid via quarterly installments of principal that began August 6, 2009. The loan bears interest at the LIBO Rate (as defined in the term loan agreement) plus 3.30 percent, and interest is payable quarterly, which payments began on August 6, 2009. Pursuant to the terms of the term loan agreement, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert the variable rate on the term loan to a fixed 6.315 percent until maturity.

On July 1, 2009, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $124 million, to be secured by mortgages on five of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. The Company has borrowed the full $124 million and secured this loan with the requisite five aircraft mortgages. The loan matures on July 1, 2019, and is repayable semi-annually in installments of principal that began January 1, 2010. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 6.84 percent, and interest is payable semi-annually, which payments began on January 1, 2010.

On May 6, 2008, the Company entered into a term loan agreement providing for loans to the Company aggregating up to $600 million, to be secured by first-lien mortgages on 21 of the Company’s 737-700 aircraft. On May 9, 2008, the Company borrowed the full $600 million and secured these loans with the requisite 21 aircraft mortgages. The loans mature on May 9, 2020, and are repayable quarterly in installments of principal, with the first payment made on August 9, 2008. The loans bear interest at the LIBO Rate (as defined in the term loan agreement) plus 0.95 percent, and interest is payable quarterly. Pursuant to the terms of the term loan agreement, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert the variable rate on the term loan to a fixed 5.223 percent until maturity.

On October 3, 2007, grantor trusts established by the Company issued $500 million Pass Through Certificates consisting of $412 million 6.15% Series A certificates and $88 million 6.65% Series B certificates. A separate trust was established for each class of certificates. The trusts used the proceeds from the sale of certificates to acquire equipment notes in the same amounts, which were issued by the Company on a full recourse basis. Payments on the equipment notes held in each trust will be passed through to the holders of certificates of such trust. The equipment notes were issued for each of 16 Boeing 737-700 aircraft owned by the Company and are secured by a mortgage on each aircraft. Interest on the equipment notes held for the certificates is payable semi-annually, with the first payment made on February 1, 2008. Also beginning February 1, 2008, principal payments on the equipment notes held for both series of certificates are due semi-annually until the balance of the certificates mature on August 1, 2022. Prior to their issuance, the Company also entered into swap agreements to hedge the variability in interest rates on the Pass Through Certificates. The swap agreements were accounted for as cash flow hedges, and resulted in a payment by the Company of $20 million upon issuance of the Pass Through Certificates. The effective portion of the hedge is being amortized to interest expense concurrent with the amortization of the debt and is reflected in the above table as a reduction in the debt balance. The ineffectiveness of the hedge transaction was immaterial.

During December 2006, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2016. The notes bear interest at 5.75 percent, payable semi-annually in arrears, with the first payment made on June 15, 2007. During fourth quarter 2009, the Company entered into a fixed-to-floating interest rate swap to convert the interest on these unsecured notes to a floating rate until their maturity. See Note 10 for further information on the interest-rate swap agreement.

During February 2005, the Company issued $300 million senior unsecured notes due 2017. The notes bear interest at 5.125 percent, payable semi-annually in arrears, with the first payment made on September 1, 2005.

In fourth quarter 2004, the Company entered into four identical 13-year floating-rate financing arrangements, whereby it borrowed a total of $112 million from French banking partnerships. Although the interest rates on the borrowings float, the Company estimated at inception that, considering the full effect of the “net present value benefits” included in the transactions, the effective economic yield over the 13-year term of the loans will be approximately LIBOR minus 45 basis points. Principal and interest are payable semi-annually on June 30 and December 31 for each of the loans, and the Company may terminate the arrangements in any year on either of those dates, under certain conditions. The Company pledged four aircraft as collateral for the transactions.

In September 2004, the Company issued $350 million senior unsecured notes due 2014. The notes matured and were redeemed in full on October 1, 2014, utilizing available cash on hand.
 
On February 28, 1997, the Company issued $100 million of senior unsecured 7.375% debentures due March 1, 2027. Interest is payable semi-annually on March 1 and September 1. The debentures may be redeemed, at the option of the Company, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at a redemption price equal to the greater of the principal amount of the debentures plus accrued interest at the date of redemption or the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon, discounted to the date of redemption at the comparable treasury rate plus 20 basis points, plus accrued interest at the date of redemption. In January 2007, the Company entered into an interest rate swap agreement to convert this fixed-rate debt to a floating rate; however, the interest rate swap was terminated in December 2012. See Note 10 for more information on the interest rate swap agreement and termination.

The Company is required to provide standby letters of credit to support certain obligations that arise in the ordinary course of business. Although the letters of credit are an off-balance sheet item, the majority of the obligations to which they relate are reflected as liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Outstanding letters of credit totaled $440 million at December 31, 2014.

The net book value of the assets pledged as collateral for the Company’s secured borrowings, primarily aircraft and engines, was $2.0 billion at December 31, 2014. In addition, the Company has pledged a total of up to 81 of its Boeing 737-700 aircraft at a net book value of $2.0 billion, in the case that it has obligations related to its fuel derivative instruments with counterparties that exceed certain thresholds. See Note 10 for further information on these collateral arrangements.

As of December 31, 2014, aggregate annual principal maturities of debt and capital leases (not including amounts associated with interest rate swap agreements, interest on capital leases, amortization of capital lease incentives, and amortization of purchase accounting adjustments) for the five-year period ending December 31, 2019 and thereafter, were $182 million in 2015, $610 million in 2016, $520 million in 2017, $264 million in 2018, $514 million in 2019, and $551 million thereafter.