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Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract] |
FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS | FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS The table below presents disclosures about the financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in UAL's financial statements (in millions):
| September 30, 2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | December 31, 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 13,150 |  |  | $ | 13,150 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 2,762 |  |  | $ | 2,762 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Short-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Corporate debt | 397 |  |  | — |  |  | 397 |  |  | — |  |  | 1,045 |  |  | — |  |  | 1,045 |  |  | — |
Asset-backed securities | 99 |  |  | — |  |  | 99 |  |  | — |  |  | 690 |  |  | — |  |  | 690 |  |  | — |
U.S. government and agency notes | 52 |  |  | — |  |  | 52 |  |  | — |  |  | 124 |  |  | — |  |  | 124 |  |  | — |
Certificates of deposit placed through an account registry service ("CDARS") | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 35 |  |  | — |  |  | 35 |  |  | — |
Other fixed-income securities | 4 |  |  | — |  |  | 4 |  |  | — |  |  | 95 |  |  | — |  |  | 95 |  |  | — |
Other investments measured at net asset value ("NAV") | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 193 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Restricted cash — current | 76 |  |  | 76 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Restricted cash — non-current | 172 |  |  | 172 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 106 |  |  | 106 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Long-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity securities | 118 |  |  | 118 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 385 |  |  | 385 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
AVH Derivative Assets | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 24 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 24 |
Other assets | 14 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 14 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Available-for-sale investment maturities - The short-term investments shown in the table above are classified as available-for-sale, with the exception of investments measured at NAV. As of September 30, 2020, asset-backed securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately 14 years and corporate debt securities have remaining maturities of less than three years. U.S. government and agency notes have maturities of approximately two years or less and other fixed-income securities have maturities of less than one year. Restricted cash — current - Restricted cash primarily includes amounts to be used for the payment of fees, principal and interest on the $6.8 billion of senior secured notes and a secured term loan facility (the "MileagePlus Financing") secured by substantially all of the assets of Mileage Plus Holdings, LLC, a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of United ("MPH"). Restricted cash — non-current - Restricted cash primarily includes collateral for letters of credit and collateral associated with facility leases, other insurance-related obligations, and collateral associated with the MileagePlus Financing. Equity securities - Equity securities represent United's investment in Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S.A. ("Azul"), consisting of a preferred equity stake of approximately 8% (approximately 2% of the total capital stock of Azul). The Company recorded $17 million of gains and $267 million of losses, respectively, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 for changes to the fair market value of its equity investment in Azul in Unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net in the Company's statements of consolidated operations. The Company recorded $21 million and $73 million in gains, respectively, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019. The carrying value of our investment in Azul was $118 million at September 30, 2020. AVH Derivative Assets - As part of the BRW Loan Agreement and related agreements with Kingsland, United obtained AVH share call options and AVH share appreciation rights and entered into an AVH share-based upside sharing agreement (collectively, the "AVH Derivative Assets"). 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. The Company recorded $24 million in losses during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and recorded $4 million and $5 million in losses, respectively, during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, in the fair value of the AVH Derivative Assets in Unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net in the Company's statements of consolidated operations. Investments presented in the table above have the same fair value as their carrying value. Other fair value information. The table below presents the carrying values and estimated fair values of financial instruments not presented in the tables above (in millions). Carrying amounts include any related discounts, premiums and issuance costs:
| September 30, 2020 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | December 31, 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 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 | $ | 26,881 |  |  | $ | 25,892 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 20,247 |  |  | $ | 5,645 |  |  | $ | 14,552 |  |  | $ | 15,203 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 11,398 |  |  | $ | 3,805 |
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, other than Other investments measured at NAV, Equity securities and Restricted cash (current and non-current) | 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.
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.
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.

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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/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258 + Details
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