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Investments and Fair Value Measurements | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract] |
Investments and Fair Value Measurements | INVESTMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Fair Value Information. Accounting standards require us to use valuation techniques to measure fair value that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. These inputs are described in Note 8 of this report. The table below presents disclosures about the fair value of financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the Company's financial statements as of December 31 (in millions):
| 2018 |  | 2017
| Total |  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |  |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 1,694 |  |  | $ | 1,694 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1,482 |  |  | $ | 1,482 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Short-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Corporate debt | 1,023 |  |  | — |  |  | 1,023 |  |  | — |  |  | 958 |  |  | — |  |  | 958 |  |  | — |
Asset-backed securities | 746 |  |  | — |  |  | 746 |  |  | — |  |  | 753 |  |  | — |  |  | 753 |  |  | — |
U.S. government and agency notes | 108 |  |  | — |  |  | 108 |  |  | — |  |  | 113 |  |  | — |  |  | 113 |  |  | — |
Certificates of deposit placed through an account registry service ("CDARS") | 75 |  |  | — |  |  | 75 |  |  | — |  |  | 120 |  |  | — |  |  | 120 |  |  | — |
Other fixed-income securities | 116 |  |  | — |  |  | 116 |  |  | — |  |  | 188 |  |  | — |  |  | 188 |  |  | — |
Other investments measured at NAV | 188 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 184 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Restricted cash | 105 |  |  | 105 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 109 |  |  | 109 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Long-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity securities | 249 |  |  | 249 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 99 |  |  | 99 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Enhanced equipment trust certificates ("EETC") | 18 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 18 |  |  | 22 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 22 |
Avianca Holdings S.A. ("AVH") Derivative Assets | 11 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 11 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Available-for-sale investment maturities - T he short-term investments shown in the table above are classified as available-for-sale, with the exception of investments measured at NAV. As of December 31, 2018, asset-backed securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately 16 years, corporate debt securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately three years and CDARS have maturities of less than one year. U.S. government and other securities have maturities of less than one year to approximately two years. The EETC securities mature in 2019. Restricted cash - Restricted cash primarily includes cash collateral for letters of credit and collateral associated with obligations for facility leases and other insurance-related obligations. Equity securities - Equity securities represent United's investment in Azul. In 2018, the Company invested $138 million in Azul thus increasing its preferred equity stake in Azul to approximately 8% (representing approximately 2% of the total capital stock of Azul). The Company recognizes changes to the fair value of its equity investment in Azul in Miscellaneous, net in its statements of consolidated operations. Synergy Term Loan - On November 29, 2018, United, as lender, entered into a Term Loan Agreement (the "Synergy Loan Agreement") with affiliates of Synergy Aerospace Corporation ("Synergy"), as borrower and guarantor, respectively, and, pursuant to the Synergy Loan Agreement, on November 30, 2018, United provided a $456 million term loan to Synergy (the "Synergy Term Loan"), secured by a pledge of borrower's equity, as well as Synergy's 516 million shares of common stock of AVH, the parent company of Avianca (equivalent to 64.5 million American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), the class of AVH securities that trades on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE")). Pursuant to the Synergy Loan Agreement, the Synergy Term Loan is due and payable in five annual installments beginning on November 30, 2021, to be repaid in full on November 30, 2025 (a portion of which is subject to extension in limited circumstances). Subject to the satisfaction of collateral coverage thresholds, minimum share price levels and certain other conditions, Synergy may repay United in shares of AVH common stock, at market value, in an amount up to 25 percent of any principal installment, or with cash from the sale of Synergy's shares of AVH stock. The Synergy Term Loan bears interest at an annual rate of 3 percent per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. United also obtained an option to acquire, on a gross or net basis and at a fixed price, up to 77.4 million shares of AVH common stock from Synergy (the "AVH Call Options"), and agreed with Synergy to share in any increase in value of the remaining 438.6 million shares of Synergy's AVH common stock within certain price ranges (the "AVH Share Appreciation Rights"). Until the third anniversary of funding, Synergy has the option to capitalize interest that would have been due, adding it to the outstanding principal balance of the Synergy Term Loan. Pursuant to the Synergy Loan Agreement, Synergy has agreed to certain financial and non-financial covenants, as well as customary events of default. In connection with funding the Synergy Loan Agreement, on November 29, 2018, United also entered into an agreement with AVH's significant minority shareholder, Kingsland Holdings Limited ("Kingsland"), pursuant to which, in return for Kingsland's pledge of its 144.8 million shares of AVH common stock (equivalent to 18.1 million ADRs) and its consent to Synergy's pledge of its AVH common stock to United under the Synergy Loan Agreement, United (1) granted to Kingsland the right to put its shares of AVH common stock to United at market price on the fifth anniversary of the Synergy Loan Agreement, and (2) guaranteed Synergy's obligation to pay Kingsland (which amount, if paid by United, will increase United's secured loan to Synergy by such amount) if the market price of AVH common stock on the fifth anniversary is less than $12 per ADR on the NYSE, for an aggregate maximum possible combined put payment and guarantee amount on the fifth anniversary of $217.2 million. United also agreed with Kingsland to share in any increase in value of AVH common stock within certain price ranges (the "Upside Sharing Agreement"). AVH Derivative Assets - The AVH Call Options, AVH Share Appreciation Rights and the Upside Sharing Agreement (collectively, the "AVH Derivative Assets") are recorded at fair value as Other assets on the Company's balance sheet and are included in the table above. Changes in the fair value of the AVH Derivative Assets are recorded as part of Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net on the Company's statements of consolidated operations. Investments presented in the table above have the same fair value as their carrying value. The table below presents the carrying values and estimated fair values of financial instruments not presented in the tables above as of December 31 (in millions). Carrying amounts include any related discounts, premiums, issuance costs and origination costs:
| 2018 |  | 2017
| Carrying Amount |  | Fair Value |  | Carrying Amount |  | Fair Value
|  |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  |  |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3
Long-term debt | $ | 13,445 |  |  | $ | 13,450 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 9,525 |  |  | $ | 3,925 |  |  | $ | 13,268 |  |  | $ | 13,787 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 10,115 |  |  | $ | 3,672 |
Synergy Term Loan | 478 |  |  | 422 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 422 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Fair value of the financial instruments included in the tables above was determined as follows:
Description | Fair Value Methodology
Cash and cash equivalents | The carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short-term maturity of these assets.
Short-term investments, Equity securities, EETC and Restricted cash | Fair value is based on (a) the trading prices of the investment or similar instruments, (b) an income approach, which uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts into a single present amount based on current market expectations about those future amounts when observable trading prices are not available, or (c) broker quotes obtained by third-party valuation services.
Other investments measured at NAV | In accordance with the relevant accounting standards, certain investments that are measured at fair value using the NAV per share (or its equivalent) practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented in the table above are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the statement of financial position. The investments measured using NAV are shares of mutual funds that invest in fixed-income instruments including bonds, debt securities, and other similar instruments issued by various U.S. and non-U.S. public- or private-sector entities. The Company can redeem its shares at any time at NAV subject to a three-day settlement period.
Long-term debt | Fair values were based on either market prices or the discounted amount of future cash flows using our current incremental rate of borrowing for similar liabilities or assets.
Synergy Term Loan and AVH Derivative Assets | Fair values are calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Unobservable inputs include expected volatility, expected dividend yield and control and acquisition premiums.
Investments in Regional Carriers. United holds investments in several regional carriers that fly for the Company as United Express under CPAs. The combined carrying value of the investments was approximately $144 million as of the date of this report. United accounts for each investment using the equity method. Each investment and United's ownership stake is listed below.
• | Republic Airways Holdings Inc. ("Republic"). United holds a 19% minority interest in Republic which the Company received in 2017 in consideration for its unsecured claim in Republic's bankruptcy case. Republic does business as Republic Airways.
• | ManaAir, LLC ("ManaAir"). In a series of transactions completed in January 2019, United obtained a 49.9% minority ownership stake in ManaAir, LLC ("ManaAir") and ManaAir purchased 100% of the equity of ExpressJet Airlines, Inc.
• | Champlain Enterprises LLC ("Champlain"). United owns a 40% minority ownership stake in Champlain. Champlain does business as CommutAir.
Other Investments. United owns approximately 9% of the preferred shares of Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. ("Fulcrum"), a company that is developing a process for transforming municipal solid waste into transportation fuels, including jet fuel and diesel. United records its investment in Fulcrum at cost less impairment, adjusted for observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. As of December 31, 2018, the carrying value of United's investment was $48 million.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2155941 + Details
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