ACCOUNTING CHANGES AND NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections

ACCOUNTING CHANGES AND NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

The Company's policy is to record revenue for the estimated spoilage of tickets (including partial tickets) once the flight date has passed, under the redemption method. Initial spoilage estimates are routinely adjusted and ultimately finalized once the tickets expire, which is typically 12 months after the original purchase date. Spoilage estimates are based on the Customer’s historical travel behavior as well as assumptions about the Customer’s future travel behavior. Assumptions used to generate spoilage estimates can be impacted by several factors including, but not limited to: fare increases, fare sales, changes to the Company’s ticketing policies, changes to the Company’s refund, exchange and unused funds policies, or economic factors. A change to previously recorded estimates of tickets expected to spoil in the future resulted in additional passenger revenue of $47 million in second quarter 2014. Revisions to the Company's assumptions regarding Customer behavior subsequent to the implementation of its No Show policy were a contributing factor to the change in estimate. The impact of this change to net income, net of profitsharing and taxes, for the three months ended June 30, 2014, and the nine months ended September 30, 2014, was $25 million. This change in estimate also resulted in a $.04 increase in both basic and diluted net income per share for the three months ended June 30, 2014, and the nine months ended September 30, 2014.

On May 28, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board issued converged guidance on recognizing revenue in contracts with customers. The new guidance establishes a single core principle in the Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-09, which is the recognition of revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This guidance will affect any reporting organization that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is not permitted. The Company is evaluating the new guidance.

On August 27, 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2014-15. This standard provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going-concern uncertainties in the financial statements. The new standard requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company is evaluating the new guidance.