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Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2021
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, 2021 |  | December 31, 2020
| Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3 |  | Total |  | Level 1 |  | Level 2 |  | Level 3
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 19,256 |  |  | $ | 19,256 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 11,269 |  |  | $ | 11,269 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Restricted cash - current | 254 |  |  | 254 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 255 |  |  | 255 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Restricted cash - non-current | 215 |  |  | 215 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 218 |  |  | 218 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Short-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Corporate debt | 130 |  |  | — |  |  | 130 |  |  | — |  |  | 330 |  |  | — |  |  | 330 |  |  | — |
Asset-backed securities | 34 |  |  | — |  |  | 34 |  |  | — |  |  | 51 |  |  | — |  |  | 51 |  |  | — |
U.S. government and agency notes | 2 |  |  | — |  |  | 2 |  |  | — |  |  | 33 |  |  | — |  |  | 33 |  |  | — |
Long-term investments: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity securities | 420 |  |  | 420 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 241 |  |  | 205 |  |  | — |  |  | 36 |
Investments presented in the table above have the same fair value as their carrying value. Restricted cash - current — Primarily includes $217 million of cash collateral for a standby letter of credit associated with guarantees related to the BRW Term Loan (as defined below). See Note 7 of this report for additional information on the BRW Term Loan and guarantees. The balance also includes amounts to be used for the payment of fees, principal and interest on 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. Restricted cash - non-current — Primarily includes collateral associated with the MileagePlus Financing, collateral for letters of credit and collateral associated with facility leases and other insurance-related obligations. Short-term investments — The short-term investments shown in the table above are classified as available-for-sale. As of September 30, 2021, corporate debt securities have remaining maturities of less than two years, asset-backed securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately eight years and U.S. government and agency notes have maturities of less than one year. Equity securities — Represents equity and equity-linked securities (such as vested warrants) that make up United's investments in Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras S.A., Clear Secure, Inc. (formerly, Alclear, Inc.) and Archer Aviation Inc. ("Archer"). The Company received equity securities in exchange for assisting Archer in the development of battery-powered, short haul aircraft. The Company will account for equity securities it receives from Archer as a deferred credit that will either be recognized into income upon United satisfying certain performance obligations or as a reduction to the cost of the aircraft received in future periods. 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, 2021 |  | December 31, 2020
| 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 | $ | 33,789 |  |  | $ | 35,324 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 29,779 |  |  | $ | 5,545 |  |  | $ | 26,747 |  |  | $ | 27,441 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 21,985 |  |  | $ | 5,456 |
Fair value of the financial instruments included in the tables above was determined as follows:
Description | Fair Value Methodology
Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash (current and non-current) | The carrying amounts of these assets approximate fair value.
Short-term investments and Equity securities | 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.
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.
Notes Receivable. The Company has a debtor-in-possession ("DIP") term loan ("DIP Loan") receivable under the terms of the DIP credit agreement filed, on May 10, 2020, by Avianca Holdings S.A. ("AVH") and certain of its affiliates as part of the voluntary reorganization proceedings under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The DIP Loan is not convertible. It bears paid-in-kind interest at a rate of 14.5% per annum and has a scheduled maturity date in November 2021. The DIP Loan becomes immediately payable upon AVH's emergence from bankruptcy, in either cash or shares of AVH stock, at AVH's election. AVH has filed a plan of reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, pursuant to which it plans to repay the Company’s DIP Loan in shares of stock of the reorganized AVH upon AVH's emergence from bankruptcy. As of September 30, 2021, the DIP Loan had a balance of $176 million and was recorded in Receivables on the Company's consolidated balance sheet. The Company also received a $120 million note receivable (the "Boom Note") from Boom Technology, Inc. ("Boom") related to a commercial agreement to add supersonic aircraft to its global fleet as well as a cooperative sustainability initiative. As of September 30, 2021, the Boom Note had a carrying value of $44 million and was recorded in Investments in affiliates and other, less allowance for credit losses on the Company's consolidated balance sheet. The initial value of the Boom Note was recorded as a deferred credit that will either be recognized into income upon United satisfying certain performance obligations or as a reduction to the cost of the aircraft received in future periods. Investments in Regional Carriers. United holds investments in several regional carriers that fly or used to fly for the Company as United Express under its capacity purchase agreements ("CPAs"). The combined carrying value of the investments was approximately $160 million as of September 30, 2021. United accounts for each investment using the equity method. Each investment and United's ownership stake are listed below. •Champlain Enterprises, LLC ("Champlain"). United owns a 40% minority ownership stake in Champlain. Champlain does business as CommutAir. CommutAir currently operates 78 regional aircraft under a CPA that has a term through 2026. •Republic Airways Holdings Inc. ("Republic Holdings"). United holds a 19% minority interest in Republic Holdings. Republic Holdings is the parent company of Republic Airways Inc. ("Republic"). Republic currently operates 66 regional aircraft under CPAs that have terms through 2036. •ManaAir, LLC ("ManaAir"). United holds a 49.9% minority ownership stake in ManaAir. ManaAir is the parent company of ExpressJet Airlines LLC ("ExpressJet"). The Company terminated its CPA with ExpressJet. ExpressJet flew its last commercial flight, on behalf of United, on September 30, 2020. Other Investments. United holds other equity investments in emerging companies with new aircraft technologies or sustainable aviation fuel solutions, such as Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc., Boom, Alder Fuels LLC and Heart Aerospace Incorporated, which do not have readily determinable fair values. We account for these investments using a measurement alternative that allows entities to measure these investments at cost less impairment, adjusted for observable price changes in orderly transactions for an identical or similar investment of the same issuer. As of September 30, 2021, the carrying value of these investments was $79 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/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 820 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123874694&loc=d3e19207-110258 + Details
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