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NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS AND CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING OR ESTIMATES | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2016
Change in Accounting Estimate [Abstract] |
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS AND CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING OR ESTIMATES | NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS AND CHANGES IN ACCOUNTING OR ESTIMATES New accounting pronouncements On March 30, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The standard is part of the FASB effort to simplify various aspects related to how share-based payments are accounted for and presented in the financial statements. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period, with any adjustments reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company is evaluating the new guidance and plans to provide additional information at a future date. On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases. The standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. The Company believes the most significant impact of this ASU will be the presentation of operating leases with durations greater than twelve months, with certain exceptions, on the balance sheet. The Company is evaluating the new guidance and plans to provide additional information about its expected financial impact at a future date. On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Following the FASB's finalization of a one year deferral of this standard, the ASU is now effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2016. The Company currently believes the most significant impact of this ASU on its accounting will be the elimination of the incremental cost method for frequent flyer accounting, which will require the Company to re-value its liability associated with flight points earned by Customers with a relative fair value approach, resulting in a significant increase in the liability. The Company is continuing to evaluate the new guidance and plans to provide additional information about its expected financial impact at a future date. Changes in accounting or estimates Southwest sells frequent flyer points and related services to companies participating in its frequent flyer program. Historically, funds received from the sale of points associated with these agreements were accounted for under the residual method. Under this method, the Company estimated the portion of the amounts received from the sale of frequent flyer points that related to free travel and these amounts were deferred and recognized as Passenger revenue when the ultimate free travel awards were flown. On July 1, 2015, the Company executed an amended co-branded credit card agreement ("Agreement") with Chase Bank USA, N.A. (“Chase”), through which the Company sells loyalty points and other items to Chase. This material modification triggered an accounting change under ASU No. 2009-13, which is recorded on a prospective basis. The impact of the accounting change is that the Company estimated the selling prices and volumes over the term of the Agreement in order to determine the allocation of proceeds to each of the deliverables (travel points to be awarded; use of the Southwest Airlines’ brand and access to Rapid Reward Member lists; advertising elements; and the Company’s resource team). The Company records passenger revenue related to air transportation and certificates for discounted companion travel when the transportation is delivered. The other elements are recognized as Other - net revenue when earned. The Company followed the transition approach of ASU No. 2009-13, which required that the Company adjust the existing deferred revenue balance to reflect the value, on a relative selling price basis, of any undelivered element remaining at the date of contract modification. The relative selling price of the undelivered element (air transportation) was lower than the rate at which it had been deferred under the residual method. The estimated impacts on revenue and earnings from this change in accounting principle for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are as follows:
(in millions, except per share amounts) | Three months ended March 31, 2016
Passenger revenue | $ | (54 | )
Other revenue | 169 |
Operating revenues | $ | 115 |
Net income | $ | 62 |
Net income per basic share | $ | 0.10 |
Net income per diluted share | $ | 0.09 |
At the end of December 2015, the Company revised its future firm delivery schedule by adding 33 Boeing 737-800 aircraft and converting all of its remaining Boeing 737-700 firm orders to 737-800s. Furthermore, in first quarter 2016, the Company made the decision to further simplify its operations and resolve uncertainty surrounding Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA") pilot training requirements for flying both its Classic Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 737-8 aircraft, which is scheduled to be added to the Company’s fleet in mid-2017. These decisions have resulted in the Company accelerating the retirement of its less-efficient Boeing 737-300 fleet to no later than third quarter 2017, versus the original scheduled retirement of this fleet that had extended out to 2021. This change in retirement dates is considered a change in estimate and has been accounted for on a prospective basis as of the dates the decisions were finalized. Therefore, the Company has recorded and will record accelerated depreciation expense over the remainder of the useful lives for each aircraft and related parts. The estimated impacts on expense and earnings from this change in assumption for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are as follows:
(in millions, except per share amounts) | Three months ended March 31, 2016
Depreciation expense | $ | 28 |
Net income | $ | (15 | )
Net income per basic share | $ | (0.02 | )
Net income per diluted share | $ | (0.02 | )
The estimated impact of the acceleration of retirement dates for these aircraft for the remainder of 2016 is an approximate $88 million increase to Depreciation and amortization expense.

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