OPERATING SEGMENT INFORMATION (TABLES)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]

Operating segment information is as follows (in millions):

	Alaska
Year ended December 31, 2012	Mainline			Regional		Horizon			Consolidating			Air Group Adjusted(a)			Special Charges			Consolidated
Operating revenues
Passenger
Mainline	$	3,284		$	—	$	—		$	—		$	3,284		$	—		$	3,284
Regional	—			746		—			—			746			—			746
Total passenger revenues	3,284			746		—			—			4,030			—			4,030
CPA revenues	—			—		369			(369		)	—			—			—
Freight and mail	107			4		—			—			111			—			111
Other-net	448			61		7			—			516			—			516
Total operating revenues	3,839			811		376			(369		)	4,657			—			4,657
Operating expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel	2,131			566		338			(369		)	2,666			—			2,666
Economic fuel(c)	1,238			183		—			—			1,421			38			1,459
Total operating expenses	3,369			749		338			(369		)	4,087			38			4,125
Nonoperating income (expense)
Interest income	19			—		—			—			19			—			19
Interest expense	(47		)	—		(16		)	(1		)	(64		)	—			(64		)
Other	24			—		2			1			27			—			27
	(4		)	—		(14		)	—			(18		)	—			(18		)
Income (loss) before income tax	$	466		$	62	$	24		$	—		$	552		$	(38	)	$	514

	Alaska
Year ended December 31, 2011	Mainline			Regional		Horizon			Consolidating			Air Group Adjusted(a)			Special Charges			Consolidated
Operating revenues
Passenger
Mainline	$	2,995		$	—	$	—		$	—		$	2,995		$	—		$	2,995
Regional	—			713		—			—			713			—			713
Total passenger revenues	2,995			713		—			—			3,708			—			3,708
CPA revenues	—			—		369			(369		)	—			—			—
Freight and mail	105			4		—			—			109			—			109
Other-net	431			62		8			—			501			—			501
Total operating revenues	3,531			779		377			(369		)	4,318			—			4,318
Operating expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel(b)	2,015			544		340			(367		)	2,532			39			2,571
Economic fuel(c)	1,101			167		—			—			1,268			30			1,298
Total operating expenses	3,116			711		340			(367		)	3,800			69			3,869
Nonoperating income (expense)
Interest income	24			—		—			(2		)	22			—			22
Interest expense	(72		)	—		(17		)	2			(87		)	—			(87		)
Other	8			—		2						10			—			10
	(40		)	—		(15		)	—			(55		)	—			(55		)
Income (loss) before income tax	$	375		$	68	$	22		$	(2	)	$	463		$	(69	)	$	394

	Alaska
Year ended December 31, 2010	Mainline			Regional		Horizon			Consolidating			Air Group Adjusted(a)			Special Charges			Consolidated
Operating revenues
Passenger
Mainline	$	2,595		$	—	$	—		$	—		$	2,595		$	—		$	2,595
Regional	—			308		363			—			671			—			671
Total passenger revenues	2,595			308		363			—			3,266			—			3,266
CPA revenues	—			—		274			(274		)	—			—			—
Freight and mail	102			2		2			—			106			—			106
Other-net	397			23		40			—			460			—			460
Total operating revenues	3,094			333		679			(274		)	3,832			—			3,832
Operating expenses
Operating expenses, excluding fuel(b)	1,917			299		502			(271		)	2,447			13			2,460
Economic fuel(c)	757			—		139			—			896			5			901
Total operating expenses	2,674			299		641			(271		)	3,343			18			3,361
Nonoperating income (expense)
Interest income	35			—		4			(10		)	29			—			29
Interest expense	(97		)	—		(20		)	9			(108		)	—			(108		)
Other	13			—		—			1			14			—			14
	(49		)	—		(16		)	—			(65		)	—			(65		)
Income (loss) before income tax	$	371		$	34	$	22		$	(3	)	$	424		$	(18	)	$	406

^(a)  The adjusted column represents the financial information that is reviewed by management to assess performance of operations and determine capital allocations and does not include certain charges.

^(b)  Refer to the Fleet Transition and Restructuring Related Expenses note for a summary of special charges for each respective period.

^(c)  Represents adjustments to reflect the timing of gain or loss recognition resulting from mark-to-market fuel-hedge accounting.

	2012			2011			2010
Depreciation:
Alaska(a)	$	217		203			$	189
Horizon	47			43			41
Parent company	—			1			—
Consolidated	$	264		$	247		$	230
Capital expenditures:
Alaska(a)	$	477		$	250		$	166
Horizon	41			137			19
Consolidated	$	518		$	387		$	185
Total assets at end of period:
Alaska(a)	$	5,177		$	4,775
Horizon	823			847
Parent company	1,832			1,584
Elimination of inter-company accounts	(2,327		)	(2,039		)
Consolidated	$	5,505		$	5,167

^(a)  There are no depreciation expenses, capital expenditures or assets associated with purchased capacity flying at Alaska Regional.