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Significant Accounting Policies (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Schedule of Information Related to Amounts Recorded Related to Frequent Flyer Programs | The following table provides additional information related to the frequent flyer program (in millions):
Year Ended December 31, |  | Cash Proceeds from Miles Sold and Earned |  |  | Other Revenue Recognized Upon Award of Miles to Third-Party Customers (a) |  |  | Increase in Frequent Flyer Deferred Revenue for Miles Awarded (b) |  |  | Decrease in Advanced Purchase of Miles (c) |
2017 |  | $ | 2,343 |  |  | $ | 1,183 |  |  | $ | 2,025 |  |  | $ | (865) |
2016 |  |  | 3,022 |  |  |  | 1,221 |  |  |  | 2,050 |  |  |  | (249) |
2015 |  |  | 2,999 |  |  |  | 1,050 |  |  |  | 2,173 |  |  |  | (224) |
(a) This amount represents other revenue recognized during the period from the sale of miles to third parties, representing the marketing-related deliverable services component of the sale. |
(b) This amount represents the increase to Frequent flyer deferred revenue during the period. |
(c) This amount represents the net decrease in the advance purchase of miles obligation due to cash payments for the sale of miles less than miles awarded to customers. |
Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statements of consolidated cash flows:
|  | UAL |  |  | United |
|  | At December 31, |  |  | At December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |
Current assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  | $ | 1,482 |  |  | $ | 2,179 |  |  | $ | 3,006 |  |  | $ | 1,476 |  |  | $ | 2,173 |  |  | $ | 3,000 |
Restricted cash included in Prepaid expenses and other |  |  | 18 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 18 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |
Other assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restricted cash |  |  | 91 |  |  |  | 124 |  |  |  | 204 |  |  |  | 91 |  |  |  | 124 |  |  |  | 204 |
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of consolidated cash flows |  | $ | 1,591 |  |  | $ | 2,303 |  |  | $ | 3,212 |  |  | $ | 1,585 |  |  | $ | 2,297 |  |  | $ | 3,206 |
Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash | The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statements of consolidated cash flows:
|  | UAL |  |  | United |
|  | At December 31, |  |  | At December 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |
Current assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  | $ | 1,482 |  |  | $ | 2,179 |  |  | $ | 3,006 |  |  | $ | 1,476 |  |  | $ | 2,173 |  |  | $ | 3,000 |
Restricted cash included in Prepaid expenses and other |  |  | 18 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 18 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |
Other assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Restricted cash |  |  | 91 |  |  |  | 124 |  |  |  | 204 |  |  |  | 91 |  |  |  | 124 |  |  |  | 204 |
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of consolidated cash flows |  | $ | 1,591 |  |  | $ | 2,303 |  |  | $ | 3,212 |  |  | $ | 1,585 |  |  | $ | 2,297 |  |  | $ | 3,206 |
Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment | The estimated useful lives of property and equipment are as follows:
|  | Estimated Useful Life (in years) |
Aircraft and related rotable parts |  |  | 25 to 30 |
Buildings |  |  | 25 to 45 |
Other property and equipment |  |  | 3 to 15 |
Computer software |  |  | 5 to 15 |
Building improvements |  |  | 1 to 40 |
ASC 606 |
Schedule of Adoption of Accounting Standards and Expected Impact on Financial Statements | Statements of Consolidated Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
|  | As Reported |  |  | Adjustment |  |  | As Adjusted for Adoption of Topic 606 |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Operating revenue: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Passenger—Mainline |  | $ | 26,552 |  |  | $ | 25,414 |  |  | $ | 1,707 |  |  | $ | 1,615 |  |  | $ | 28,259 |  |  | $ | 27,029 |
Passenger—Regional |  |  | 5,852 |  |  |  | 6,043 |  |  |  | 349 |  |  |  | 357 |  |  |  | 6,201 |  |  |  | 6,400 |
Total passenger revenue |  |  | 32,404 |  |  |  | 31,457 |  |  |  | 2,056 |  |  |  | 1,972 |  |  |  | 34,460 |  |  |  | 33,429 |
Cargo |  |  | 1,035 |  |  |  | 876 |  |  |  | 79 |  |  |  | 58 |  |  |  | 1,114 |  |  |  | 934 |
Other operating revenue |  |  | 4,297 |  |  |  | 4,223 |  |  |  | (2,087) |  |  |  | (2,028) |  |  |  | 2,210 |  |  |  | 2,195 |
Total operating revenue |  |  | 37,736 |  |  |  | 36,556 |  |  |  | 48 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 37,784 |  |  |  | 36,558 |
Operating expenses |  |  | 34,238 |  |  |  | 32,218 |  |  |  | (21) |  |  |  | (12) |  |  |  | 34,217 |  |  |  | 32,206 |
Operating income |  |  | 3,498 |  |  |  | 4,338 |  |  |  | 69 |  |  |  | 14 |  |  |  | 3,567 |  |  |  | 4,352 |
Nonoperating expense, net |  |  | (499) |  |  |  | (519) |  |  |  | (28) |  |  |  | (60) |  |  |  | (527) |  |  |  | (579) |
Income before income taxes |  |  | 2,999 |  |  |  | 3,819 |  |  |  | 41 |  |  |  | (46) |  |  |  | 3,040 |  |  |  | 3,773 |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  |  | 868 |  |  |  | 1,556 |  |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | (17) |  |  |  | 896 |  |  |  | 1,539 |
Net income |  | $ | 2,131 |  |  | $ | 2,263 |  |  | $ | 13 |  |  | $ | (29) |  |  | $ | 2,144 |  |  | $ | 2,234 |
Earnings per share, basic |  | $ | 7.04 |  |  | $ | 6.86 |  |  | $ | 0.04 |  |  | $ | (0.09) |  |  | $ | 7.08 |  |  | $ | 6.77 |
Earnings per share, diluted |  | $ | 7.02 |  |  | $ | 6.85 |  |  | $ | 0.04 |  |  | $ | (0.09) |  |  | $ | 7.06 |  |  | $ | 6.76 |
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31,
|  | As Reported |  |  | Adjustment |  |  | As Adjusted for Adoption of Topic 606 |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Current assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Prepaid expenses and other |  | $ | 1,051 |  |  | $ | 832 |  |  | $ | 20 |  |  | $ | 20 |  |  | $ | 1,071 |  |  | $ | 852 |
Other assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  | — |  |  |  | 655 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 48 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 703 |
Current liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Advance ticket sales |  |  | 3,876 |  |  |  | 3,730 |  |  |  | 64 |  |  |  | 65 |  |  |  | 3,940 |  |  |  | 3,795 |
Frequent flyer deferred revenue |  |  | 2,176 |  |  |  | 2,135 |  |  |  | 16 |  |  |  | 14 |  |  |  | 2,192 |  |  |  | 2,149 |
Other |  |  | 569 |  |  |  | 1,010 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 79 |  |  |  | 576 |  |  |  | 1,089 |
Other liabilities and deferred credits: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Frequent flyer deferred revenue |  |  | 2,565 |  |  |  | 2,748 |  |  |  | 26 |  |  |  | (8 | ) |  |  | 2,591 |  |  |  | 2,740 |
Advanced purchase of miles |  |  | — |  |  |  | 430 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 433 |
Deferred income taxes |  |  | 225 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (21) |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 204 |  |  |  | — |
Stockholders’ equity: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  | 4,621 |  |  |  | 3,427 |  |  |  | (72) |  |  |  | (85 | ) |  |  | 4,549 |  |  |  | 3,342 |
ASU 2017-07 |
Schedule of Adoption of Accounting Standards and Expected Impact on Financial Statements | Statements of Consolidated Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
|  | As Reported |  |  | Adjustment |  |  | As Adjusted for Adoption of ASU 2017-07 |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Operating expense: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Salaries and related costs |  | $ | 11,045 |  |  | $ | 10,275 |  |  | $ | (104) |  |  | $ | (99 | ) |  | $ | 10,941 |  |  | $ | 10,176 |
Special charges |  |  | 176 |  |  |  | 638 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 107 |  |  |  | 176 |  |  |  | 745 |
Nonoperating income (expense): |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Miscellaneous, net |  |  | 3 |  |  |  | (19) |  |  |  | (104) |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | (101) |  |  |  | (11) |

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