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INCOME TAXES (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block] | Deferred tax (assets) and liabilities comprise the following (in millions):
| 2020 |  | 2019
Excess of tax over book depreciation | $ | 1,126 |  |  | $ | 1,233 |
Intangibles - net | 15 |  |  | 16 |
Operating lease assets | 342 |  |  | 416 |
Other - net | 106 |  |  | 58 |
Deferred tax liabilities | 1,589 |  |  | 1,723 |
Mileage Plan™ | (385) |  |  | (337) |
Inventory obsolescence | (17) |  |  | (15) |
Employee benefits | (215) |  |  | (179) |
Net operating losses | (27) |  |  | (13) |
Operating lease liabilities | (381) |  |  | (417) |
Leasehold maintenance | (73) |  |  | — |
Other - net | (103) |  |  | (48) |
Deferred tax assets | (1,201) |  |  | (1,009) |
Valuation allowance | 19 |  |  | 1 |
Net deferred tax liabilities | $ | 407 |  |  | $ | 715 |
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block] | The components of income tax expense (benefit) are as follows (in millions):
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Current income tax expense (benefit): |  |  |  |  |
Federal | $ | (212) |  |  | $ | 26 |  |  | $ | (5) |
State | (11) |  |  | 13 |  |  | 9 |
Total current income tax expense (benefit) | (223) |  |  | 39 |  |  | 4 |
Deferred income tax expense (benefit): |  |  |  |  |
Federal | (246) |  |  | 175 |  |  | 125 |
State | (47) |  |  | 33 |  |  | 19 |
Total deferred income tax expense (benefit) | (293) |  |  | 208 |  |  | 144 |
Income tax expense (benefit) | $ | (516) |  |  | $ | 247 |  |  | $ | 148 |
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block] |
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Income (loss) before income tax | $ | (1,840) |  |  | $ | 1,016 |  |  | $ | 585 |
Expected tax expense (benefit) | (386) |  |  | 213 |  |  | 123 |
Nondeductible expenses | 9 |  |  | 9 |  |  | 9 |
State income tax expense (benefit) | (62) |  |  | 36 |  |  | 21 |
Tax law changes | (93) |  |  | (9) |  |  | (7) |
Valuation allowance | 18 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Other - net | (2) |  |  | (2) |  |  | 2 |
Actual tax expense (benefit) | $ | (516) |  |  | $ | 247 |  |  | $ | 148 |
Effective tax rate | 28.0 | % |  | 24.3 | % |  | 25.3 | %
Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block] | The Company has identified its federal tax return and its state tax returns in Alaska, Oregon and California as “major” tax jurisdictions. A summary of the Company's jurisdictions and the periods that are subject to examination are as follows:
Jurisdiction | Period
Federal | 2007 to 2019
Alaska | 2015 to 2019
California | 2007 to 2019
Oregon | 2003 to 2019
Certain tax years are open to the extent of net operating loss carryforwards. Changes in the liability for gross unrecognized tax benefits during 2020, 2019 and 2018 are as follows (in millions):
| 2020 |  | 2019 |  | 2018
Balance at January 1, | $ | 40 |  |  | $ | 40 |  |  | $ | 43 |
Additions related to prior years | 1 |  |  | — |  |  | 1 |
Releases related to prior years | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (4) |
Additions related to current year activity | — |  |  | 2 |  |  | 2 |
Releases due to settlements | (4) |  |  | — |  |  | (1) |
Releases due to lapse of statute of limitations | (1) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (1) |
Balance at December 31, | $ | 35 |  |  | $ | 40 |  |  | $ | 40 |

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of the components of income tax expense attributable to continuing operations for each year presented including, but not limited to: current tax expense (benefit), deferred tax expense (benefit), investment tax credits, government grants, the benefits of operating loss carryforwards, tax expense that results from allocating certain tax benefits either directly to contributed capital or to reduce goodwill or other noncurrent intangible assets of an acquired entity, adjustments of a deferred tax liability or asset for enacted changes in tax laws or rates or a change in the tax status of the entity, and adjustments of the beginning-of-the-year balances of a valuation allowance because of a change in circumstances that causes a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax asset in future years. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32639-109319 + Details
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