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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitments. As of September 30, 2021, United had firm commitments and options to purchase aircraft from The Boeing Company ("Boeing") and Airbus S.A.S. ("Airbus") as presented in the table below:
|  |  |  | Scheduled Aircraft Deliveries
Aircraft Type |  | Number of Firm Commitments (a) |  | Last Three Months of 2021 |  | 2022 |  | 2023 |  | After 2023
Airbus A321XLR |  | 50 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 50 |
Airbus A321neo |  | 70 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 16 |  |  | 54 |
Airbus A350 |  | 45 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 45 |
Boeing 737 MAX |  | 371 |  |  | 4 |  |  | 48 |  |  | 114 |  |  | 205 |
Boeing 787 |  | 8 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 7 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
(a) United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
During the third quarter of 2021, the Company elected to accelerate the delivery of eight Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from 2023 to 2022. The aircraft listed in the table above are scheduled for delivery through 2030. To the extent the Company and the aircraft manufacturers with whom the Company has existing orders for new aircraft agree to modify the contracts governing those orders, or to the extent rights are exercised pursuant to the relevant agreements to modify the timing of deliveries, the amount and timing of the Company's future capital commitments could change. United has an agreement to purchase ten used Airbus A319 aircraft, which it intends to sell, with expected delivery dates in 2021 and 2022. In 2020, United entered into agreements with third parties to finance through sale and leaseback transactions new Boeing model 787 aircraft and Boeing model 737 MAX aircraft subject to purchase agreements between United and Boeing. In connection with the delivery of each aircraft from Boeing, United assigned its right to purchase such aircraft to the buyer, and simultaneous with the buyer's purchase from Boeing, United entered into a long-term lease for such aircraft with the buyer as lessor. Twenty Boeing model aircraft were delivered in the first nine months of 2021 under these transactions (and each is presently subject to a long-term lease to United). Remaining aircraft in the agreements are scheduled to be delivered in the last three months of 2021. Upon delivery of aircraft in these sale and leaseback transactions in 2021, the Company accounted for seven of these aircraft, which have a repurchase option at a price other than fair value, as part of Flight equipment on the Company's consolidated balance sheet and the related obligation recorded in Other current liabilities and Other financial liabilities from sale-leasebacks (noncurrent) since they do not qualify for sale recognition. The remaining thirteen aircraft that qualified for sale recognition were recorded as Operating lease right-of-use assets and Current/Long-term obligations under operating leases on the Company's consolidated balance sheet after recognition of related gains on such sale. The table below summarizes United's commitments as of September 30, 2021, which include aircraft and related spare engines, aircraft improvements and all non-aircraft capital commitments (in billions):
Last three months of 2021 |  | $ | 0.9 |
2022 |  | 5.3 |
2023 |  | 7.0 |
2024 |  | 4.8 |
2025 |  | 4.3 |
After 2025 |  | 12.2 |
|  | $ | 34.5 |
Regional CPAs. In September 2021, United entered into a new CPA with Republic for Republic to operate 38 Embraer E175LL aircraft on United's behalf starting in 2022 for a 12-year term. The new Embraer E175LL aircraft will replace the Embraer E170 aircraft currently being flown by Republic for United. The table below summarizes the Company's expected future payments through the end of the terms of our CPAs, excluding aircraft ownership costs and variable pass-through costs such as fuel and landing fees, among others. Our future commitments under our CPAs are dependent on numerous variables, and are, therefore, difficult to predict. We have set forth below estimates based on our current assumptions of our anticipated level of flight activity or any contractual minimum utilization levels if applicable, whichever is higher. Based on these assumptions as of September 30, 2021, our estimated future payments through the end of the terms of our CPAs are presented in the table below (in billions):
Last three months of 2021 |  | $ | 0.6 |
2022 |  | 2.1 |
2023 |  | 2.0 |
2024 |  | 1.9 |
2025 |  | 1.6 |
After 2025 |  | 5.5 |
|  | $ | 13.7 |
Guarantees. As of September 30, 2021, United is the guarantor of approximately $2.1 billion in aggregate principal amount of tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds and interest thereon. These bonds, issued by various airport municipalities, are payable solely from rentals paid under long-term agreements with the respective governing bodies. The leasing arrangements associated with these obligations are accounted for as operating leases recognized on the Company's consolidated balance sheet with the associated expense recorded on a straight-line basis over the expected lease term. All of these bonds are due between 2023 and 2041. In August 2021, at the request of United, the City of Houston, Texas issued its approximately $289 million special facilities revenue bonds for the purpose of (a) financing the costs of construction of a multi-terminal baggage handling system, tenant improvements, fixtures, equipment, personnel areas, and related facilities, and an early baggage system building (together with a related fire pump room) at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), all to be installed by and for use by United and (b) paying related costs of issuance. The bonds bear interest at 4.0% per annum, payable semiannually, commencing January 2022 through the July 2041 maturity date. United is accounting for the payments for these special facilities revenue bonds as lease payments under an operating lease recognized as a right-of-use asset and lease liability on the Company's balance sheet. In November 2018, United, as lender, entered into a Term Loan Agreement (the "BRW Term Loan Agreement") with, among others, BRW Aviation Holding LLC and BRW Aviation LLC ("BRW"), as guarantor and borrower, respectively. BRW Aviation Holding LLC and BRW are affiliates of Synergy Aerospace Corporation, and BRW is the majority shareholder of AVH. Pursuant to the BRW Term Loan Agreement, United provided to BRW a $456 million term loan (the "BRW Term Loan"). In November 2018, in connection with funding the BRW Term Loan Agreement, the Company entered into an agreement with Kingsland Holdings Limited ("Kingsland"), AVH's largest minority shareholder, pursuant to which, in return for Kingsland's pledge of its 144.8 million common shares of AVH (which are eligible to be converted into the same number of preferred shares, which may be deposited with the depositary for AVH's American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), the class of AVH securities that trades on the NYSE, in exchange for 18.1 million ADRs) and its consent to BRW's pledge of its AVH common shares to United under the BRW Term Loan Agreement and related agreements, United (1) granted to Kingsland the right to put its AVH common shares to United at market price on the fifth anniversary of the BRW Term Loan Agreement or upon certain sales of AVH common shares owned by BRW, including upon a foreclosure of United's security interest, and (2) guaranteed BRW's obligation to pay Kingsland the difference if the market price of AVH common shares on the fifth anniversary, or upon any such sale, as applicable, 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 million. Due to AVH's financial uncertainty and subsequent bankruptcy filing in 2019, the Company recorded the full amount of the guarantee as a liability, and pursuant to the plan of reorganization that AVH has filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, existing common shares of AVH would be cancelled and extinguished and holders would not be entitled to any recovery upon AVH’s exit from bankruptcy, planned to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021, and accordingly the expected value is zero per ADR. Additionally, the Company posted $217 million as cash collateral for a standby letter of credit in favor of Citibank, N.A. that serves as security for a loan from Citibank to Kingsland (recorded in Restricted cash – current on the Company's consolidated balance sheet). Any drawings under the letter of credit would offset the Company's maximum possible put and guarantee payment to Kingsland by an equal amount. The posting of this collateral, and any potential credit against the Company's put and guarantee payment, are entirely related to the original transactions entered in 2018 and do not represent any new or incremental investment. As of September 30, 2021, United is the guarantor of $109 million of aircraft mortgage debt issued by one of United's regional carriers. The aircraft mortgage debt is subject to similar increased cost provisions as described below for the Company's debt, and the Company would potentially be responsible for those costs under the guarantees. Increased Cost Provisions. In United's financing transactions that include loans in which United is the borrower, United typically agrees to reimburse lenders for any reduced returns with respect to the loans due to any change in capital requirements and, in the case of loans with respect to which the interest rate is based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), for certain other increased costs that the lenders incur in carrying these loans as a result of any change in law, subject, in most cases, to obligations of the lenders to take certain limited steps to mitigate the requirement for, or the amount of, such increased costs. At September 30, 2021, the Company had $13.3 billion of floating rate debt with remaining terms of up to approximately 11 years that are subject to these increased cost provisions. In several financing transactions involving loans or leases from non-U.S. entities, with remaining terms of up to approximately 11 years and an aggregate balance of $10.1 billion, the Company bears the risk of any change in tax laws that would subject loan or lease payments thereunder to non-U.S. entities to withholding taxes, subject to customary exclusions. Labor Negotiations. As of September 30, 2021, the Company had approximately 85,300 employees, of whom approximately 85% were represented by various U.S. labor organizations. This total includes employees who elected to voluntarily separate from the Company pursuant to Company-offered Voluntary Programs but who still remained on pay and benefit continuation. During the third quarter of 2021, the Company announced its decision to transition, in October 2021, its catering operations to a combination of three outside suppliers who will operate five kitchens and oversee the functions related to menu design and administration. Impacted employees who were in good standing have been offered jobs at one of the three suppliers, and about 70% will continue to have union representation following the transition. Credit Card Processing Agreements. The Company has agreements with financial institutions that process customer credit card transactions for the sale of air travel and other services. Under certain of the Company's credit card processing agreements, the financial institutions in certain circumstances have the right to require that the Company maintain a reserve equal to a portion of advance ticket sales that has been processed by that financial institution, but for which the Company has not yet provided the air transportation. Such financial institutions may require cash or other collateral reserves to be established or withholding of payments related to receivables to be collected, including if the Company does not maintain certain minimum levels of unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.

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