Delta Air Lines (DAL) 10-Q 22 Apr 20 2020 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020shares
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-5424
Entity Registrant Name	DELTA AIR LINES, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0000027904
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	58-0218548
Entity Address, Address Line One	Post Office Box 20706
Entity Address, City or Town	Atlanta
Entity Address, State or Province	GA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	30320-6001
City Area Code	404
Local Phone Number	715-2600
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
Trading Symbol	DAL
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	637,836,206

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Un

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 5,967	$ 2,882
Accounts receivable, net of an allowance for uncollectible accounts of $16 and $13 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	2,280	2,854
Fuel inventory	439	730
Expendable parts and supplies inventories, net of an allowance for obsolescence of $90 and $82 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	535	521
Prepaid expenses and other	1,054	1,262
Total current assets	10,275	8,249
Noncurrent Assets:
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization of $17,506 and $17,027 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	31,644	31,310
Operating lease right-of-use assets	5,488	5,627
Goodwill	9,753	9,781
Identifiable intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $875 and $873 at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	6,019	5,163
Cash restricted for airport construction	455	636
Equity investments	3,684	2,568
Other noncurrent assets	1,420	1,198
Total noncurrent assets	58,463	56,283
Total assets	68,738	64,532
Current Liabilities:
Current maturities of debt and finance leases	4,337	2,287
Current maturities of operating leases	768	801
Accounts payable	3,337	3,266
Accrued salaries and related benefits	1,844	3,701
Fuel card obligation	1,100	736
Other accrued liabilities	1,309	1,078
Total current liabilities	19,392	20,204
Noncurrent Liabilities:
Debt and finance leases	12,662	8,873
Pension, postretirement and related benefits	8,285	8,452
Noncurrent operating leases	5,204	5,294
Deferred income taxes, net	1,502	1,456
Other noncurrent liabilities	1,666	1,386
Total noncurrent liabilities	35,037	28,970
Commitments and Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock at $0.0001 par value; 1,500,000,000 shares authorized, 647,386,115 and 651,731,443 shares issued at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	11,054	11,129
Retained earnings	11,423	12,454
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(7,898)	(7,989)
Treasury stock, at cost, 9,549,909 and 8,959,730 shares at March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively	(270)	(236)
Total stockholders' equity	14,309	15,358
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	68,738	64,532
Air traffic
Current Liabilities:
Deferred revenue liability	5,598	5,116
Loyalty program
Current Liabilities:
Deferred revenue liability	1,099	3,219
Noncurrent Liabilities:
Loyalty program deferred revenue	$ 5,718	$ 3,509

Consolidated Balance Sheets (_2

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current Assets:
Allowance for uncollectible accounts	$ 16	$ 13
Allowance for obsolescence	90	82
Noncurrent Assets:
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	17,506	17,027
Accumulated amortization	$ 875	$ 873
Stockholders' Equity:
Common stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Common stock, authorized (shares)	1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000
Common stock, issued (shares)	647,386,115	651,731,443
Treasury stock, at cost (shares)	9,549,909	8,959,730

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Operating Revenue:
Total operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Operating Expense:
Salaries and related costs	2,771	2,639
Aircraft fuel and related taxes	1,595	1,978
Regional carriers expense, excluding fuel	902	893
Depreciation and amortization	678	615
Contracted services	675	632
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs	469	476
Landing fees and other rents	467	419
Passenger commissions and other selling expenses	358	427
Passenger service	257	271
Ancillary businesses and refinery	219	351
Aircraft rent	100	102
Profit sharing	0	220
Other	511	429
Total operating expense	9,002	9,452
Operating (Loss)/Income	(410)	1,020
Non-Operating Expense:
Interest expense, net	(79)	(83)
Gain/(loss) on investments, net	(112)	100
Miscellaneous, net	(6)	(91)
Total non-operating expense, net	(197)	(74)
(Loss)/Income Before Income Taxes	(607)	946
Income Tax Benefit/(Provision)	73	(216)
Net (Loss)/Income	$ (534)	$ 730
Basic (Loss)/Earnings Per Share (USD per share)	$ (0.84)	$ 1.10
Diluted (Loss)/Earnings Per Share (USD per share)	(0.84)	1.09
Cash Dividends Declared Per Share (USD per share)	$ 0.40	$ 0.35
Comprehensive (Loss)/Income	$ (443)	$ 789
Passenger
Operating Revenue:
Total operating revenue	7,569	9,254
Cargo
Operating Revenue:
Total operating revenue	152	192
Other
Operating Revenue:
Total operating revenue	$ 871	$ 1,026

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	$ 358	$ 1,942
Property and equipment additions:
Flight equipment, including advance payments	(629)	(1,059)
Ground property and equipment, including technology	(308)	(301)
Redemption of short-term investments	0	206
Acquisition of strategic investments	(2,099)	0
Other, net	65	58
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,971)	(1,096)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Payments on debt and finance lease obligations	(1,238)	(1,285)
Repurchase of common stock	(344)	(1,325)
Cash dividends	(260)	(233)
Proceeds from short-term obligations	2,882	1,750
Proceeds from long-term obligations	3,962	500
Fuel card obligation	364
Fuel card obligation		(9)
Other, net	(22)	(7)
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	5,344	(609)
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Equivalents	2,731	237
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,730	2,748
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents at end of period	6,461	2,985
Non-Cash Transactions:
Flight and ground equipment acquired under finance leases	184	3
Right-of-use assets acquired under operating leases	55	274
Noncurrent Assets:
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents	$ 6,461	$ 2,985

Consolidated Statements of Stoc

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Treasury Stock
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 13,687	$ 0	$ 11,671	$ 10,039	$ (7,825)	$ (198)
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2018			688,000,000				8,000,000
Net (loss)/income		730			730
Dividends declared		(232)			(232)
Other comprehensive income		59				59
Shares of common stock issued and compensation expense associated with equity awards (Treasury shares withheld for payment of taxes, $49.75 per share)	[1]	(8)		27			$ (35)
Shares of common stock issued and compensation expense associated with equity awards (Treasury shares withheld for payment of taxes, $49.75 per share) (shares)	[1]		2,000,000				1,000,000
Stock purchased and retired		(1,325)		(444)	(881)
Stock purchased and retired (shares)			(26,000,000)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2019		12,911	$ 0	11,254	9,656	(7,766)	$ (233)
Ending balance (shares) at Mar. 31, 2019			664,000,000				9,000,000
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019		15,358	$ 0	11,129	12,454	(7,989)	$ (236)
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019			652,000,000				9,000,000
Net (loss)/income		(534)			(534)
Dividends declared		(257)			(257)
Other comprehensive income		91				91
Shares of common stock issued and compensation expense associated with equity awards (Treasury shares withheld for payment of taxes, $49.75 per share)	[1]	(5)		29			$ (34)
Shares of common stock issued and compensation expense associated with equity awards (Treasury shares withheld for payment of taxes, $49.75 per share) (shares)	[1]		1,000,000				1,000,000
Stock purchased and retired		(344)		(104)	(240)
Stock purchased and retired (shares)			(6,000,000)
Ending balance at Mar. 31, 2020		$ 14,309	$ 0	$ 11,054	$ 11,423	$ (7,898)	$ (270)
Ending balance (shares) at Mar. 31, 2020			647,000,000				10,000,000
[1]	Weighted average price per share.

Consolidated Statements of St_2

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Unaudited) (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Treasury shares withheld for payment of taxes, weighted average price per share (USD per share)	$ 56.48	$ 49.75

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Delta Air Lines, Inc. and our wholly owned subsidiaries and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information. Consistent with these requirements, this Form 10-Q does not include all the information required by GAAP for complete financial statements. As a result, this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Management believes the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. Due to severe impacts from the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, seasonal variations in the demand for air travel, the volatility of aircraft fuel prices and other factors, operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of operating results for the entire year. We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts disclosed are stated before consideration of income taxes. Recent Accounting Standards Credit Losses. In 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments." Under this ASU, an entity is required to utilize an "expected credit loss model" on certain financial instruments, including trade and financing receivables. This model requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information and requires an entity to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the asset. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recorded reserves against certain of our outstanding financial instruments that were not material individually or in the aggregate.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic	IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC The unprecedented and rapid spread of COVID-19 and the related travel restrictions and social distancing measures implemented throughout the world have significantly reduced demand for air travel. After initially impacting our service to China beginning in January, the spread of the virus and the resulting global pandemic next affected the majority of our international network and ultimately our domestic network. Beginning in March, large public events were cancelled, governmental authorities began imposing restrictions on non-essential activities, businesses suspended travel and popular leisure destinations temporarily closed to visitors. Certain countries that are key markets for our business have imposed bans on international travelers for specified periods or indefinitely. As a result, demand for travel declined at an accelerated pace, which has had an unprecedented and materially adverse impact on our revenues and financial position. The length and severity of the reduction in demand due to the pandemic is uncertain; accordingly, we expect the adverse impact to grow in the June 2020 quarter. While we are planning for a modest demand recovery beginning in the September 2020 quarter, the exact timing and pace of the recovery is uncertain given the significant impact of the pandemic on the overall U.S. and global economy. Our forecasted expense management and liquidity measures may be modified as we clarify the demand recovery timing. See Note 3, "Revenue Recognition," for discussion of the recognition of passenger revenue, our air traffic liability and ticket breakage assumptions. In response to these developments, we have implemented measures to focus on the safety of our customers and employees, while at the same time seeking to mitigate the impact on our financial position and operations. These measures include, but are not limited to, the following: Taking Care of our Customers and Employees. The safety of our customers and employees continues to be our primary focus. As the COVID-19 pandemic has developed, we have taken numerous steps to help customers and employees practice social distancing on the ground and in the air in keeping with current health-expert recommendations: • Adopting new cleaning procedures on all flights, including disinfectant electrostatic spraying on all aircraft overnight and sanitizing high-touch areas like tray tables, entertainment screens, armrests and seat-back pockets before boarding. • Taking steps to help employees and customers practice social distancing, including blocking middle seats, pausing automatic upgrades, modifying our boarding process and moving to essential meal service only. • Extending 2020 Medallion Status an additional year, rolling Medallion Qualification Miles into 2021 and extending Delta SkyMiles American Express Card benefits and Delta Sky Club memberships. • Giving customers flexibility to plan, re-book and travel including extending expiration on travel credits through September 2022. • Offering pay protection to employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, must quarantine due to exposure or travel-related requirements or have self-identified as being at high-risk for illness from COVID-19 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") guidelines and do not have the ability to telecommute. • Implementing significant workforce social distancing and protection measures, including reworking call center spaces to provide appropriate social distancing, increasing cleaning of our facilities using methods and products similar to what we are using on our aircraft and having virtually all employees who can telecommute do so. Capacity Reductions. Following a strong start to 2020 in January and February, we experienced a precipitous decrease in demand in March as COVID-19 spread throughout the world. To align capacity with expected demand, beginning in the second half of March, we have significantly reduced our system capacity to a level that maintains essential services. For the June 2020 quarter, system capacity is expected to be down approximately 85 percent compared to the June 2019 quarter, with international capacity to be reduced by approximately 90 percent and domestic flying to be reduced by approximately 80 percent. As a result of reduced demand expectations and lower capacity, we are temporarily parking approximately 50 percent of our fleet. Expense Management. With the reduction in revenue, we have, and will continue to implement cost saving initiatives, including: • Reducing capacity as described above to align with expected demand, which has resulted in temporarily parking approximately 400 aircraft as of March 31, 2020, with the expectation to have over 650 aircraft parked by the end of the June quarter. As a result, we have made the decision to accelerate the retirement of our MD-88 fleet from December 2020 to the end of July 2020. • Consolidating our footprint at our airport facilities, including temporarily closing most Delta Sky Clubs. • Reducing employee-related costs, including: ◦ Voluntary unpaid leaves of 30 days to 12 months offered to most employees. Approximately 35,000 employees have volunteered to take leaves beginning in the June 2020 quarter. ◦ Salary reductions of 50% for our officers and 25% for our director level employees. ◦ A 25% reduction in work hours for all other management and most front-line employee work groups. ◦ Instituting a company-wide hiring freeze. • Delaying non-essential maintenance projects and reducing or suspending other discretionary spending. Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and Liquidity. We have taken the following actions to increase liquidity and strengthen our financial position. As a result of these actions, our cash and cash equivalents balance as of March 31, 2020 was $6.0 billion. • Reducing planned capital expenditures by approximately $3.5 billion, including working with original equipment manufacturers ("OEM") to optimize the timing of our future aircraft deliveries, delaying aircraft modifications and postponing certain information technology initiatives and replacement of ground equipment. • Drawing $3.0 billion from our previously undrawn revolving credit facilities. • Entering into a $2.7 billion secured term loan facility during the March 2020 quarter with an accordion feature that allowed us to increase the facility to $3.0 billion during April 2020. • Entering into $150 million of loans secured by certain of our widebody aircraft. In addition, during April 2020, we have entered into an additional $1.2 billion of sale-leaseback transactions for certain aircraft and are pursuing other financing initiatives. • Suspending future share repurchases and dividends. • Delaying $500 million of planned voluntary pension funding. We continue to evaluate future financing opportunities by leveraging our unencumbered assets which, as of March 31, 2020, have a value of at least $15 billion, and utilizing funding from the CARES Act, discussed below. In response to the impact that the demand environment has had on our financial condition, our credit rating has been downgraded by Standard & Poor's to BB in late March 2020 and by Fitch to BB+ in early April 2020. Our primary credit facility has various financial and other covenants that require us to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio and a minimum asset coverage ratio. In the event that we are unable to maintain compliance with such covenants, we expect to obtain an amendment or waiver from our lenders, refinance the indebtedness subject to covenants or take other mitigating actions prior to a potential breach. See Note 7, "Debt," for more information on our debt issuances during the March 2020 quarter. Valuation of Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangibles We apply a fair value-based impairment test to the carrying value of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets on an annual basis (as of October 1) and, if certain events or circumstances indicate that an impairment loss may have been incurred, on an interim basis. Our December 2019 quarter quantitative impairment tests of goodwill and intangibles indicated that there was no indication of impairment as the fair value exceeded our carrying value: Carrying Value at Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Goodwill (1) $ 9,753 $ 9,781 234% International routes and slots 2,583 2,583 15% to 29% Airline alliances (2) 1,863 1,005 67% to 576% Delta tradename 850 850 185% Domestic slots 622 622 61% to 181% Total $ 15,671 $ 14,841 (1) The reduction in goodwill during the March 2020 quarter relates to the combination of Delta Private Jets with Wheels Up. See Note 5, "Investments," for more information on this transaction. (2) As part of our strategic alliance with and investment in LATAM , we have recorded an alliance-related indefinite-lived intangible asset of $1.2 billion , which was not reflected in the 2019 quantitative impairment assessment. Despite the significant excess fair value identified in our 2019 impairment assessment, we determined that the reduced cash flow projections and the significant decline in Delta's market capitalization as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that an impairment loss may have been incurred. Therefore, we qualitatively assessed whether it was more likely than not that the goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets were impaired as of March 31, 2020. We reviewed our previous forecasts and assumptions based on our current projections that are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including: (1) forecasted revenues, expenses and cash flows, including the duration and extent of impact to our business and our alliance partners from the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) current discount rates, (3) the reduction in Delta's market capitalization, (4) observable market transactions, (5) changes to the regulatory environment and (6) the nature and amount of government support that will be provided. Based on our interim impairment assessment as of March 31, 2020, we have determined that our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not impaired. However, we are unable to predict how long these conditions will persist, what additional measures may be introduced by governments or private parties or what effect any such additional measures may have on air travel and our business. Any measure that encourages potential travelers to stay in their homes, engage in social distancing or avoid larger gatherings of people is highly likely to be harmful to the air travel industry in general, and consequently our business. Valuation of Long-Lived Assets Our flight equipment and other long-lived assets, which are classified as property and equipment, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheet ("balance sheet"), have a recorded value of $31.6 billion at March 31, 2020. We review flight equipment and other long-lived assets used in operations for impairment losses when events and circumstances indicate the assets may be impaired. As part of our capacity reductions related to the negative effect on our business from the COVID-19 pandemic, we have removed approximately 400 aircraft from active service and plan to park another approximately 250 aircraft during the June 2020 quarter. These aircraft are being temporarily parked, with the exception of the MD-88 fleet discussed above for which an impairment charge of $22 million was recorded, and we have not yet decided to accelerate the retirement of any other fleet. To determine whether impairments exist for active and temporarily parked aircraft, we group assets at the fleet-type level or at the contract level for aircraft operated by regional carriers (i.e., the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows) and then estimate future cash flows based on projections of capacity, passenger mile yield, fuel and labor costs and other relevant factors. Given the substantial reduction in our active aircraft and diminished projections of future cash flows in the near term, we evaluated the remainder of our fleet and determined that no fleet (other than the MD-88) was impaired as the future cash flows from operation of the fleet through the respective retirement dates exceeded the carrying value. As we obtain greater clarity about the duration and extent of reduced demand and potentially execute further capacity adjustments, we will continue to evaluate our current fleet compared to network requirements and may decide to permanently retire additional aircraft. See Note 5, "Investments," for more information on the valuation of our equity investments. CARES Act On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act ("CARES Act") into law. The CARES Act is a relief package intended to assist many aspects of the American economy, including providing the airline industry with up to $25 billion in grants to be used for employee wages, salaries and benefits. In April 2020, we were granted $5.4 billion in emergency relief through the payroll support program of the CARES Act to be paid in installments through July 2020. The relief payments are conditioned on our agreement to refrain from conducting involuntary employee layoffs or furloughs through September 30, 2020. Other conditions include prohibitions on share repurchases and dividends through September 30, 2021, continuing essential air service as directed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and certain limitations on executive compensation. The relief payments include $3.8 billion in grants and $1.6 billion in an unsecured 10-year low interest loan. The loan includes annual interest rates of 1.00% for the first five years (through April 2025) and the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus 2.00% in the final five years. In return, we have agreed to issue to the U.S. Department of the Treasury over 6.5 million warrants to acquire Delta common stock. These warrants include an exercise price of $24.39 per share and have a five-year term. On April 20, 2020, we received the first installment of $2.7 billion under the payroll support program. The CARES Act provides for up to $25 billion in secured loans to the airline industry. We expect to be eligible for approximately $4.6 billion under the loan program and are currently evaluating our level of participation. Finally, the CARES Act also provides for deferred payment of the employer portion of social security taxes through the end of 2020, with 50% of the deferred amount due December 31, 2021 and the remaining 50% due December 31, 2022. This is expected to provide us with approximately $200 million of additional liquidity during the current year.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue Recognition	REVENUE RECOGNITION Passenger Revenue Passenger revenue is primarily composed of passenger ticket sales, loyalty travel awards and travel-related services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight. Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Ticket $ 6,511 $ 7,988 Loyalty travel awards 543 692 Travel-related services 515 574 Total passenger revenue $ 7,569 $ 9,254 The air traffic liability primarily includes sales of passenger tickets to be flown in the future, as well as credits which can be applied as payment toward the cost of a ticket. The credits are typically issued as a result of ticket cancellations prior to their expiration dates. As of March 31, 2020, passenger tickets sold and credits issued were generally valid for one year from the date of original ticket issuance . In April 2020, we announced changes to expiration dates, as discussed below. We recognized approximately $2.8 billion in passenger revenue during the three months ended March 31, 2020 that was recorded in our air traffic liability balance at December 31, 2019. The air traffic liability typically increases during the winter and spring as advanced ticket sales grow prior to the summer peak travel season and decreases during the summer and fall months. However, the current reduction in demand for air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented low level of advance bookings and the associated cash received. At the same time, we have experienced significant cancellations beginning in the second half of March, which has led to issuance of refunds to customers, while the remainder have been rebooked on future flights or received credits in lieu of cash refunds. The total value of refunds, excluding taxes and related fees, issued to customers during the March 2020 quarter was approximately $850 million. Due to the uncertainty around the return of demand for air travel, we are unable to estimate the amount of the December 31, 2019 air traffic liability that will be recognized in earnings compared to amounts that will be refunded to customers or issued as a credit for future travel through the end of 2020. In April 2020, we announced that credits issued for cancelled travel in March through September 2020 will have an extended expiration date through September 2022. This change is expected to shift a portion of our air traffic liability to noncurrent. We will also consider this change in estimating the future breakage rate, which represents the value of tickets that will expire unused and is recognized as revenue at the scheduled flight date. Other Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Loyalty program $ 474 $ 474 Ancillary businesses and refinery 223 369 Miscellaneous 174 183 Total other revenue $ 871 $ 1,026 Loyalty Program. Our SkyMiles loyalty program generates customer loyalty by rewarding customers with incentives to travel on Delta. This program allows customers to earn mileage credits ("miles") by flying on Delta, Delta Connection and other airlines that participate in the loyalty program. When traveling, customers earn redeemable miles based on the passenger's loyalty program status and ticket price. Customers can also earn miles through participating companies such as credit card companies, hotels, car rental agencies and ridesharing companies. Miles are redeemable by customers in future periods for air travel on Delta and other participating airlines, membership in our Sky Club and other program awards. To facilitate transactions with participating companies, we sell miles to non-airline businesses, customers and other airlines. Our most significant contract to sell miles relates to our co-brand credit card relationship with American Express. During the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, total cash sales from marketing agreements related to our loyalty program were $992 million and $980 million, respectively, which are allocated to travel and other performance obligations. Current Activity of the Loyalty Program. Miles are combined in one homogeneous pool and are not separately identifiable. As such, the revenue is comprised of miles that were part of the loyalty program deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period as well as miles that were issued during the period. The table below presents the activity of the current and noncurrent loyalty program liability and includes miles earned through travel and miles sold to participating companies, which are primarily through marketing agreements. (in millions) 2020 2019 Balance at January 1 $ 6,728 $ 6,641 Miles earned 660 720 Travel miles redeemed (543) (692) Non-travel miles redeemed (28) (45) Balance at March 31 $ 6,817 $ 6,624 The timing of mile redemptions can vary widely; however, the majority of new miles have historically been redeemed within two years. The loyalty program deferred revenue classified as a current liability represents our current estimate of revenue expected to be recognized in the next 12 months based on projected redemptions, while the balance classified as a noncurrent liability represents our current estimate of revenue expected to be recognized beyond 12 months. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a larger portion of mile redemptions is projected to occur beyond 12 months and is therefore reflected as a noncurrent liability as of March 31, 2020. We will continue to monitor redemptions as the situation evolves. Revenue by Geographic Region Operating revenue for the airline segment is recognized in a specific geographic region based on the origin, flight path and destination of each flight segment. The majority of the revenues of the refinery, consisting of fuel sales to the airline, have been eliminated in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The remaining operating revenue for the refinery segment is included in the domestic region. Our passenger and operating revenue by geographic region is summarized in the following tables: Passenger Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic $ 5,601 $ 6,741 Atlantic 818 1,074 Latin America 765 861 Pacific 385 578 Total $ 7,569 $ 9,254 Operating Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic $ 6,267 $ 7,516 Atlantic 994 1,287 Latin America 863 969 Pacific 468 700 Total $ 8,592 $ 10,472

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Assets (Liabilities) Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (in millions) March 31, Level 1 Level 2 Cash equivalents $ 4,669 $ 4,669 $ — Restricted cash equivalents 494 494 — Long-term investments 1,367 908 459 Hedge derivatives, net Fuel hedge contracts 8 (5) 13 Interest rate contracts 25 — 25 Foreign currency exchange contracts 14 — 14 (in millions) December 31, Level 1 Level 2 Cash equivalents $ 586 $ 586 $ — Restricted cash equivalents 847 847 — Long-term investments 1,099 881 218 Hedge derivatives, net Fuel hedge contracts 1 (1) 2 Interest rate contracts 61 — 61 Foreign currency exchange contracts 6 — 6 Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash Equivalents. Cash equivalents generally consist of money market funds. Restricted cash equivalents generally consist of money market funds, time deposits, commercial paper and negotiable certificates of deposit, which primarily relate to proceeds from debt issued to finance a portion of the construction costs for our new terminal facilities at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The fair value of these cash equivalents is based on a market approach using prices generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets. Long-Term Investments. Our long-term investments that are measured at fair value primarily consist of equity investments, which are valued based on market prices or other observable transactions and inputs, and are recorded in equity investments on our balance sheet. See Note 5, "Investments," for further information on our equity investments. Hedge Derivatives. A portion of our derivative contracts are negotiated over-the-counter with counterparties without going through a public exchange. Accordingly, our fair value assessments give consideration to the risk of counterparty default (as well as our own credit risk). Such contracts are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. The remainder of our hedge contracts are comprised of futures contracts, which are traded on a public exchange. These contracts are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. • Fuel Hedge Contracts. Our fuel hedge portfolio consists of options, swaps and futures. Option and swap contracts are valued under income approaches using option pricing models and discounted cash flow models, respectively, based on data either readily observable in public markets, derived from public markets or provided by counterparties who regularly trade in public markets. Futures contracts and options on futures contracts are traded on a public exchange and valued based on quoted market prices. • Interest Rate Contracts. Our interest rate derivatives are swap contracts, which are valued based on data readily observable in public markets. • Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts. Our foreign currency derivatives consist of forward contracts and are valued based on data readily observable in public markets.

Investments

Investments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Investments	INVESTMENTS Long-Term Investments We have developed strategic relationships with a number of airlines and airline services companies through equity investments and other forms of cooperation and support. Our equity investments reinforce our commitment to these relationships and provide us with the ability to participate in strategic decision-making, often through representation on the board of directors of the investee. Fair Value Investments We account for the following investments at fair value with adjustments to fair value recognized in gain/(loss) on investments within non-operating expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income ("income statement"). We recorded losses of $112 million and gains of $100 million on our fair value investments during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These results were driven by changes in stock prices and foreign currency fluctuations. Ownership Interest Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Hanjin-KAL 15 % 10 % $ 538 $ 205 Air France-KLM 9 % 9 % 211 418 China Eastern 3 % 3 % 159 258 Wheels Up 27 % — % 234 — Other investments 225 218 Total fair value investments $ 1,367 $ 1,099 Wheels Up. In January 2020, we combined Delta Private Jets, our wholly owned subsidiary which provides private jet operations, with Wheels Up. Upon closing, we received a 27% equity stake in Wheels Up which we have elected to record using the fair value option as this is expected to better reflect the economics of our ownership interest. This transaction resulted in a gain of $240 million which was recorded within miscellaneous, net in our income statement. GOL. In the December 2019 quarter we sold our ownership stake of GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, the parent company of VRG Linhas Aéreas (operating as GOL), and are winding down our commercial agreements. Additionally, GOL has a $300 million five Equity Method Investments We account for the investments listed below under the equity method of accounting. Ownership Interest Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 LATAM 20 % — % $ 1,088 $ — Grupo Aeroméxico (1) 51 % 51 % 770 833 Virgin Atlantic (2) 49 % 49 % 207 375 AirCo 49 % 49 % 141 142 (1) Grupo Aeroméxico's corporate bylaws (as authorized by the Mexican Foreign Investment Commission) limit our voting interest to a maximum of 49%. Therefore, we account for our investment under the equity method. Due to Grupo Aeroméxico's share repurchase program, our equity stake in Grupo Aeroméxico has increased to a non-controlling 51% interest. (2) We have a non-controlling equity stake in Virgin Atlantic Limited, the parent company of Virgin Atlantic Airways, and similar non-controlling interests in certain affiliated Virgin Atlantic companies. LATAM. In January 2020, we acquired 20% of the shares of LATAM Airlines Group S.A. ("LATAM") for $1.9 billion, or $16 per share, through a tender offer as part of our plan to enter into a strategic alliance with LATAM. In addition, to support the establishment of the strategic alliance, we agreed to make transition payments to LATAM totaling $350 million, $200 million of which was disbursed in 2019. As part of our planned strategic alliance with LATAM, we have also agreed to acquire four A350 aircraft from LATAM and have assumed ten of LATAM's A350 purchase commitments with Airbus for deliveries through 2025. The total consideration of $2.3 billion, including the tender offer and the transition payments, has been allocated based on their relative fair values to the shares ($1.1 billion) and to the alliance-related indefinite-lived intangible asset ($1.2 billion). We expect to record the aircraft at cost upon delivery. Based on our 20% ownership interest and planned strategic alliance, we determined that we have significant influence over LATAM and will accordingly record this investment under the equity method of accounting. At acquisition, our investment was recorded at $1.1 billion based on the allocated value to our 20% equity stake in LATAM on January 3, 2020. Due to the timing of information available from LATAM, we will record our portion of LATAM's financial results on a one quarter lag, beginning in the June 2020 quarter. Our portion of Grupo Aeroméxico's and Virgin Atlantic's financial results are recorded in miscellaneous, net in our income statement under non-operating expense, and our share of AirCo's financial results is recorded in contracted services in our income statement as this entity is integral to the operations of our business. If an eq uity method investment experiences a loss in fair value that is determined to be other than temporary, we will reduce our basis in the investment to fair value and record the loss in non-operating expe nse. Given the recent and unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the airline industry, we evaluated whether our equity method investments in LATAM, Grupo Aeroméxico, Virgin Atlantic and AirCo were other than temporarily impaired. Based on discussions with each investee's management and review of their respective liquidity and financial projections, we do not believe these investments are other than temporarily impaired as we have the intent and ability to retain these investments for a period of time sufficient to allow for anticipated recovery in value. However, we will continue to monitor the continuing effects of the pandemic, self-help measures each investee executes and potential assistance provided by their respective governments. Effective January 2020, we combined our separate transatlantic joint venture agreements with Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic into a single three-party transatlantic joint venture. Under the new agreement, certain measurement thresholds were reset from the previous joint venture with Virgin Atlantic, reducing the value Delta would have received over the original term. To compensate Delta for this reduced value, we entered into a transition agreement with Virgin Atlantic and, as of March 31, 2020, have recognized a receivable of approximately $200 million, which is recorded in other noncurrent assets, and corresponding deferred revenue, which is recorded in other noncurrent liabilities.

Derivatives and Risk Management

Derivatives and Risk Management	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives and Risk Management	DERIVATIVES AND RISK MANAGEMENT Changes in fuel prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates impact our results of operations. In an effort to manage our exposure to these risks, we enter into derivative contracts and adjust our derivative portfolio as market conditions change. We recognize derivative contracts at fair value on our balance sheet. Cash flows associated with purchasing and settling hedge contracts generally are classified as operating cash flows. Fuel Price Risk Our derivative contracts to hedge the financial risk from changing fuel prices are primarily related to Monroe’s inventory. Interest Rate Risk Our exposure to market risk from adverse changes in interest rates is primarily associated with our debt obligations. Market risk associated with our fixed and variable rate debt relates to the potential reduction in fair value and negative impact to future earnings, respectively, from an increase in interest rates. In March 2020, we unwound a majority of our interest rate swap contracts. The unwind of these contracts generated approximately $100 million of cash in the quarter. These gains will be reflected in our income statement over the remaining term of the related debt agreements. Foreign Currency Exchange Risk We are subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk because we have revenue, expense and equity investments denominated in foreign currencies. To manage exchange rate risk, we execute both our international revenue and expense transactions in the same foreign currency to the extent practicable. From time to time, we may also enter into foreign currency option and forward contracts. Hedge Position as of March 31, 2020 (in millions) Volume Final Maturity Date Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net Designated as hedges Interest rate contracts (fair value hedges) 150 U.S. dollars April 2028 $ 2 $ 23 $ — $ — $ 25 Not designated as hedges Foreign currency exchange contracts 238 Euros December 2020 11 — — — 11 Foreign currency exchange contracts 177,045 South Korean won April 2023 1 2 — — 3 Fuel hedge contracts 219 gallons - crude oil and refined products April 2021 98 — (90) — 8 Total derivative contracts $ 112 $ 25 $ (90) $ — $ 47 Hedge Position as of December 31, 2019 (in millions) Volume Final Maturity Date Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net Designated as hedges Interest rate contracts (fair value hedges) 1,872 U.S. dollars April 2028 $ 12 $ 53 $ (4) $ — $ 61 Not designated as hedges Foreign currency exchange contracts 397 Euros December 2020 9 — — — 9 Foreign currency exchange contracts 177,045 South Korean won April 2023 1 — — (4) (3) Fuel hedge contracts 243 gallons - crude oil and refined products July 2020 16 — (15) — 1 Total derivative contracts $ 38 $ 53 $ (19) $ (4) $ 68 Balance Sheet Location of Hedged Item in Fair Value Hedges Carrying Amount of Hedge Instruments Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedge Adjustments 1 (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Current maturities of debt and finance leases $ 22 $ (19) $ 22 $ 8 Debt and finance leases $ (47) $ (1,783) $ 102 $ 53 (1) As of March 31, 2020, these amounts include the cumulative amount of fair value hedging adjustments remaining for which hedge accounting has been discontinued of approximately $100 million. Offsetting Assets and Liabilities We have master netting arrangements with our counterparties giving us the right to offset hedge assets and liabilities. However, we have elected not to offset the fair value positions recorded on our balance sheet. The following table shows the net fair value of our counterparty positions had we elected to offset. (in millions) Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net March 31, 2020 Net derivative contracts $ 22 $ 25 $ — $ — $ 47 December 31, 2019 Net derivative contracts $ 24 $ 53 $ (5) $ (4) $ 68 Not Designated Hedge Gains (Losses) Gains (losses) related to our foreign currency exchange and fuel hedge contracts are as follows: Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income (in millions) 2020 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, Foreign currency exchange contracts Gain/(loss) on investments, net $ 19 $ 11 Fuel hedge contracts Aircraft fuel and related taxes 216 (54) Total $ 235 $ (43) Credit Risk To manage credit risk associated with our fuel price, interest rate and foreign currency hedging programs, we evaluate counterparties based on several criteria, including their credit ratings, and limit our exposure to any one counterparty.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	DEBT The following table summarizes our debt: Maturity Interest Rate(s) Per Annum at March 31, December 31, (in millions) Dates March 31, 2020 2020 2019 Unsecured notes 2020 to 2029 2.60% to 4.38% $ 4,550 $ 5,550 2020 Secured Term Loan Facility (1) 2021 2.75% to 2.96% 2,700 — Financing arrangements secured by aircraft: Certificates (2) 2020 to 2028 2.00% to 8.02% 2,611 1,669 Notes (1)(2) 2020 to 2025 1.37% to 6.03% 1,243 1,193 NYTDC Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2018 (2) 2022 to 2036 4.00% to 5.00% 1,383 1,383 Other financings (1)(2)(3) 2021 to 2030 1.99% to 8.75% 256 196 2018 Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (1) 2021 to 2023 2.45% 2,650 — Other revolving credit facilities (1) 2020 to 2021 2.37% to 3.21% 292 — Total secured and unsecured debt 15,685 9,991 Unamortized premium and debt issue cost, net and other 155 115 Total debt 15,840 10,106 Less: current maturities (4,090) (2,054) Total long-term debt $ 11,750 $ 8,052 (1) Certain financings are comprised of variable rate debt. All variable rates are equal to LIBOR (generally subject to a floor) or another index rate, in each case plus a specified margin. (2) Due in installments. (3) Primarily includes unsecured bonds and debt secured by certain accounts receivable and real estate. 2020 Secured Term Loan Facility In March 2020, we entered into a $2.7 billion 364-day secured term loan facility ("the facility"). Borrowings under the facility are secured by certain aircraft. The facility also contains an accordion feature under which the aggregate commitment can be increased to $4.0 billion upon our request, provided that the new lenders agree to the existing terms of the facility. The facility contains covenants similar to our other existing borrowings. In April 2020, this loan was increased to $3.0 billion. 2020-1 EETC We completed a $1.0 billion offering of Pass Through Certificates, Series 2020-1 ("2020-1 EETC") utilizing a pass through trust during March 2020. This amount is included in Certificates in the table above. The proceeds of this issuance were used to pay the unsecured notes that matured in the March 2020 quarter. The details of the 2020-1 EETC, which is secured by 33 aircraft, are shown in the table below: (in millions) Total Principal Fixed Interest Rate Issuance Date Final Maturity Date 2020-1 Class AA Certificates $ 796 2.00% March 2020 June 2028 2020-1 Class A Certificates 204 2.50% March 2020 June 2028 Total $ 1,000 Availability Under Revolving Credit Facilities During the March 2020 quarter, we drew $3.0 billion on our revolving credit facilities and had $21 million undrawn as of March 31, 2020. The amounts drawn are included as outstanding debt in the table above. Fair Value of Debt Market risk associated with our fixed- and variable-rate debt relates to the potential reduction in fair value and negative impact to future earnings, respectively, from an increase in interest rates. The fair value of debt, shown below, is principally based on reported market values, recently completed market transactions and estimates based on interest rates, maturities, credit risk and underlying collateral. Debt is primarily classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. (in millions) March 31, December 31, Net carrying amount $ 15,840 $ 10,106 Fair value $ 14,800 $ 10,400 Covenants We were in compliance with the covenants in our financing agreements at March 31, 2020.

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS The following table shows the components of net periodic (benefit) cost: Pension Benefits Other Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, Service cost $ — $ — $ 24 $ 21 Interest cost 175 208 28 34 Expected return on plan assets (343) (297) (11) (12) Amortization of prior service credit — — (2) (2) Recognized net actuarial loss 75 73 10 9 Net periodic (benefit) cost $ (93) $ (16) $ 49 $ 50 Service cost is recorded in salaries and related costs in our income statement while all other components are recorded within miscellaneous, net under non-operating expense.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Aircraft Purchase Commitments We have committed to the future aircraft purchases reflected below. However, we are working with the OEMs to optimize the timing of our future aircraft deliveries. Our future aircraft purchase commitments totaled approximately $14.7 billion at March 31, 2020: (in millions) Total Nine months ending December 31, 2020 $ 2,560 2021 4,560 2022 3,060 2023 1,860 2024 1,000 Thereafter 1,700 Total $ 14,740 Our future aircraft purchase commitments included the following aircraft at March 31, 2020: Aircraft Type Purchase Commitments A220-100 14 A220-300 50 A321-200 27 A321-200neo 100 A330-900neo (1) 32 A350-900 26 CRJ-900 4 Total 253 (1) Includes two A330-900neo lease commitments with one in each of 2020 and 2021. LATAM A350 Commitments We have agreed to acquire four A350 aircraft from LATAM and assumed ten of LATAM's A350 purchase commitments from Airbus, with deliveries through 2025, which are included as purchase commitments in the table above. See Note 5, "Investments," for further information on our strategic alliance with LATAM. Legal Contingencies We are involved in various legal proceedings related to employment practices, environmental issues, antitrust matters and other matters concerning our business. We record liabilities for losses from legal proceedings when we determine that it is probable that the outcome in a legal proceeding will be unfavorable and the amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. Although the outcome of the legal proceedings in which we are involved cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the resolution of current matters will not have a material adverse effect on our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Credit Card Processing Agreements Our VISA/MasterCard and American Express credit card processing agreements provide that no cash reserve ("Reserve") is required, and no withholding of payment related to receivables collected will occur, except in certain circumstances, including when we do not maintain a required level of liquidity as outlined in the merchant processing agreements. In circumstances in which the credit card processor can establish a Reserve or withhold payments, the amount of the Reserve or payments that may be withheld would be equal to the potential liability of the credit card processor for tickets purchased with VISA/MasterCard or American Express credit cards, as applicable, that had not yet been used for travel. We did not have a Reserve or an amount withheld as of March 31, 2020 or December 31, 2019. Other Contingencies General Indemnifications We are the lessee under many commercial real estate leases. It is common in these transactions for us, as the lessee, to agree to indemnify the lessor and the lessor's related parties for tort, environmental and other liabilities that arise out of or relate to our use or occupancy of the leased premises. This type of indemnity would typically make us responsible to indemnified parties for liabilities arising out of the conduct of, among others, contractors, licensees and invitees at, or in connection with, the use or occupancy of the leased premises. This indemnity often extends to related liabilities arising from the negligence of the indemnified parties but usually excludes any liabilities caused by either their sole or gross negligence or their willful misconduct. Our aircraft and other equipment lease and financing agreements typically contain provisions requiring us, as the lessee or obligor, to indemnify the other parties to those agreements, including certain of those parties' related persons, against virtually any liabilities that might arise from the use or operation of the aircraft or other equipment. We believe that our insurance would cover most of our exposure to liabilities and related indemnities associated with the commercial real estate leases and aircraft and other equipment lease and financing agreements described above. While our insurance does not typically cover environmental liabilities, we have insurance policies in place as required by applicable environmental laws. Some of our aircraft and other financing transactions include provisions that require us to make payments to preserve an expected economic return to the lenders if that economic return is diminished due to specified changes in laws or regulations. In some of these financing transactions, we also bear the risk of changes in tax laws that would subject payments to non-U.S. lenders to withholding taxes. We cannot reasonably estimate our potential future payments under the indemnities and related provisions described above because we cannot predict (1) when and under what circumstances these provisions may be triggered and (2) the amount that would be payable if the provisions were triggered because the amounts would be based on facts and circumstances existing at such time. Other We have certain contracts for goods and services that require us to pay a penalty, acquire inventory specific to us or purchase contract-specific equipment, as defined by each respective contract, if we terminate the contract without cause prior to its expiration date. Because these obligations are contingent on our termination of the contract without cause prior to its expiration date, no obligation would exist unless such a termination occurs.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS The following tables show the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss: (in millions) Pension and Other Benefit Liabilities (2) Other Total Balance at January 1, 2020 (net of tax effect of $1,549) $ (8,095) $ 106 $ (7,989) Changes in value (net of tax effect of $3) — 21 21 Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect of $21) (1) 70 — 70 Balance at March 31, 2020 (net of tax effect of $1,531) $ (8,025) $ 127 $ (7,898) Balance at January 1, 2019 (net of tax effect of $1,492) $ (7,925) $ 100 $ (7,825) Changes in value (net of tax effect of $1) — (2) (2) Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect of $19) (1) 60 1 61 Balance at March 31, 2019 (net of tax effect of $1,474) $ (7,865) $ 99 $ (7,766) (1) Amounts reclassified from AOCI for pension and other benefit liabilities and for derivative contracts designated as foreign currency cash flow hedges are recorded in miscellaneous, net in non-operating expense and in passenger revenue, respectively, in our income statement. (2) Includes $672 million of deferred income tax expense primarily related to pension and other benefit obligations that will not be recognized in net income until these obligations are fully extinguished. We consider all income sources, including other comprehensive income, in determining the amount of tax benefit allocated to continuing operations.

Segments

Segments	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segments	SEGMENTS Refinery Operations Our refinery segment operates for the benefit of the airline segment by providing jet fuel to the airline segment from its own production and through jet fuel obtained through agreements with third parties. The refinery's production consists of jet fuel, as well as non-jet fuel products. We use several counterparties to exchange the non-jet fuel products produced by the refinery for jet fuel consumed in our airline operations. The gross fair value of the products exchanged under these agreements during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 was $831 million and $732 million, respectively. Segment Reporting Segment results are prepared based on our internal accounting methods described below, with reconciliations to consolidated amounts in accordance with GAAP. Our segments are not designed to measure operating income or loss directly related to the products and services included in each segment on a stand-alone basis. (in millions) Airline Refinery Intersegment Sales/Other Consolidated Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Operating revenue: $ 8,592 $ 1,184 $ 8,592 Sales to airline segment $ (210) (1) Exchanged products (831) (2) Sales of refined products (143) (3) Operating (loss) income (439) 29 — (410) Interest expense (income), net 80 (1) — 79 Depreciation and amortization 678 25 (25) (4) 678 Total assets, end of period 66,864 1,874 — 68,738 Capital expenditures 926 11 — 937 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Operating revenue: $ 10,424 $ 1,283 $ 10,472 Sales to airline segment $ (271) (1) Exchanged products (732) (2) Sales of refined products (232) (3) Operating income (loss) 1,054 (34) — 1,020 Interest expense (income), net 92 (9) — 83 Depreciation and amortization 615 23 (23) (4) 615 Total assets, end of period 60,343 1,498 — 61,841 Capital expenditures 1,350 10 — 1,360 (1) Represents transfers, valued on a market price basis, from the refinery to the airline segment for use in airline operations. We determine market price by reference to the market index for the primary delivery location, which is New York Harbor, for jet fuel from the refinery. (2) Represents value of products delivered under our exchange agreements, as discussed above, determined on a market price basis. (3) These sales were at or near cost; accordingly, the margin on these sales is de minimis. (4) Refinery segment operating results, including depreciation and amortization, are included within aircraft fuel and related taxes in our income statement.

(Loss)_Earnings Per Share

(Loss)/Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
(Loss)/Earnings Per Share	(LOSS)/EARNINGS PER SHARE We calculate basic (loss) /earnings per share and diluted (loss) per share by di viding net (loss)/income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, excluding restricted shares. We calculate diluted earnings per share by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding plus the dilutive effect of outstanding share-based awards, including stock options and restricted stock awards. Antidilutive common stock equivalents excluded from the diluted (loss)/earnings per share calculation are not material. The following table shows the computation of basic and diluted (loss)/earnings per share: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per share data) 2020 2019 Net (loss)/income $ (534) $ 730 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 637 665 Dilutive effect of share-based awards — 2 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 637 667 Basic (loss)/earnings per share $ (0.84) $ 1.10 Diluted (loss)/earnings per share $ (0.84) $ 1.09

Summary of Significant Accoun_2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Delta Air Lines, Inc. and our wholly owned subsidiaries and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information. Consistent with these requirements, this Form 10-Q does not include all the information required by GAAP for complete financial statements. As a result, this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019. Management believes the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair statement of results for the interim periods presented. Due to severe impacts from the global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, seasonal variations in the demand for air travel, the volatility of aircraft fuel prices and other factors, operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2020 are not necessarily indicative of operating results for the entire year. We reclassified certain prior period amounts to conform to the current period presentation. Unless otherwise noted, all amounts disclosed are stated before consideration of income taxes.
Recent Accounting Standards	Recent Accounting Standards Credit Losses. In 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments." Under this ASU, an entity is required to utilize an "expected credit loss model" on certain financial instruments, including trade and financing receivables. This model requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information and requires an entity to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of the asset. We adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recorded reserves against certain of our outstanding financial instruments that were not material individually or in the aggregate.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandem_2

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Schedule goodwill and intangibles carrying value and fair value	Our December 2019 quarter quantitative impairment tests of goodwill and intangibles indicated that there was no indication of impairment as the fair value exceeded our carrying value: Carrying Value at Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Goodwill (1) $ 9,753 $ 9,781 234% International routes and slots 2,583 2,583 15% to 29% Airline alliances (2) 1,863 1,005 67% to 576% Delta tradename 850 850 185% Domestic slots 622 622 61% to 181% Total $ 15,671 $ 14,841 (1) The reduction in goodwill during the March 2020 quarter relates to the combination of Delta Private Jets with Wheels Up. See Note 5, "Investments," for more information on this transaction. (2) As part of our strategic alliance with and investment in LATAM , we have recorded an alliance-related indefinite-lived intangible asset of $1.2 billion , which was not reflected in the 2019 quantitative impairment assessment.

Revenue Recognition (Tables)

Revenue Recognition (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Schedule of disaggregation of revenue	Passenger Revenue Passenger revenue is primarily composed of passenger ticket sales, loyalty travel awards and travel-related services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight. Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Ticket $ 6,511 $ 7,988 Loyalty travel awards 543 692 Travel-related services 515 574 Total passenger revenue $ 7,569 $ 9,254 Other Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Loyalty program $ 474 $ 474 Ancillary businesses and refinery 223 369 Miscellaneous 174 183 Total other revenue $ 871 $ 1,026
Schedule of activity in loyalty liability	The table below presents the activity of the current and noncurrent loyalty program liability and includes miles earned through travel and miles sold to participating companies, which are primarily through marketing agreements. (in millions) 2020 2019 Balance at January 1 $ 6,728 $ 6,641 Miles earned 660 720 Travel miles redeemed (543) (692) Non-travel miles redeemed (28) (45) Balance at March 31 $ 6,817 $ 6,624
Schedule of revenue by geographic region	Our passenger and operating revenue by geographic region is summarized in the following tables: Passenger Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic $ 5,601 $ 6,741 Atlantic 818 1,074 Latin America 765 861 Pacific 385 578 Total $ 7,569 $ 9,254 Operating Revenue Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions) 2020 2019 Domestic $ 6,267 $ 7,516 Atlantic 994 1,287 Latin America 863 969 Pacific 468 700 Total $ 8,592 $ 10,472

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of assets (liabilities) measured at fair value on a recurring basis	Assets (Liabilities) Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (in millions) March 31, Level 1 Level 2 Cash equivalents $ 4,669 $ 4,669 $ — Restricted cash equivalents 494 494 — Long-term investments 1,367 908 459 Hedge derivatives, net Fuel hedge contracts 8 (5) 13 Interest rate contracts 25 — 25 Foreign currency exchange contracts 14 — 14 (in millions) December 31, Level 1 Level 2 Cash equivalents $ 586 $ 586 $ — Restricted cash equivalents 847 847 — Long-term investments 1,099 881 218 Hedge derivatives, net Fuel hedge contracts 1 (1) 2 Interest rate contracts 61 — 61 Foreign currency exchange contracts 6 — 6

Investments (Tables)

Investments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Summary of investments at fair value	We account for the following investments at fair value with adjustments to fair value recognized in gain/(loss) on investments within non-operating expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income ("income statement"). We recorded losses of $112 million and gains of $100 million on our fair value investments during the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These results were driven by changes in stock prices and foreign currency fluctuations. Ownership Interest Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Hanjin-KAL 15 % 10 % $ 538 $ 205 Air France-KLM 9 % 9 % 211 418 China Eastern 3 % 3 % 159 258 Wheels Up 27 % — % 234 — Other investments 225 218 Total fair value investments $ 1,367 $ 1,099
Summary of equity method investments	We account for the investments listed below under the equity method of accounting. Ownership Interest Carrying Value (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 LATAM 20 % — % $ 1,088 $ — Grupo Aeroméxico (1) 51 % 51 % 770 833 Virgin Atlantic (2) 49 % 49 % 207 375 AirCo 49 % 49 % 141 142 (1) Grupo Aeroméxico's corporate bylaws (as authorized by the Mexican Foreign Investment Commission) limit our voting interest to a maximum of 49%. Therefore, we account for our investment under the equity method. Due to Grupo Aeroméxico's share repurchase program, our equity stake in Grupo Aeroméxico has increased to a non-controlling 51% interest. (2) We have a non-controlling equity stake in Virgin Atlantic Limited, the parent company of Virgin Atlantic Airways, and similar non-controlling interests in certain affiliated Virgin Atlantic companies.

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_2

Derivatives and Risk Management (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of hedge positions	Hedge Position as of March 31, 2020 (in millions) Volume Final Maturity Date Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net Designated as hedges Interest rate contracts (fair value hedges) 150 U.S. dollars April 2028 $ 2 $ 23 $ — $ — $ 25 Not designated as hedges Foreign currency exchange contracts 238 Euros December 2020 11 — — — 11 Foreign currency exchange contracts 177,045 South Korean won April 2023 1 2 — — 3 Fuel hedge contracts 219 gallons - crude oil and refined products April 2021 98 — (90) — 8 Total derivative contracts $ 112 $ 25 $ (90) $ — $ 47 Hedge Position as of December 31, 2019 (in millions) Volume Final Maturity Date Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net Designated as hedges Interest rate contracts (fair value hedges) 1,872 U.S. dollars April 2028 $ 12 $ 53 $ (4) $ — $ 61 Not designated as hedges Foreign currency exchange contracts 397 Euros December 2020 9 — — — 9 Foreign currency exchange contracts 177,045 South Korean won April 2023 1 — — (4) (3) Fuel hedge contracts 243 gallons - crude oil and refined products July 2020 16 — (15) — 1 Total derivative contracts $ 38 $ 53 $ (19) $ (4) $ 68
Schedule of balance sheet location of hedged item in fair value hedges	Balance Sheet Location of Hedged Item in Fair Value Hedges Carrying Amount of Hedge Instruments Cumulative Amount of Fair Value Hedge Adjustments 1 (in millions) March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Current maturities of debt and finance leases $ 22 $ (19) $ 22 $ 8 Debt and finance leases $ (47) $ (1,783) $ 102 $ 53 (1) As of March 31, 2020, these amounts include the cumulative amount of fair value hedging adjustments remaining for which hedge accounting has been discontinued of approximately $100 million.
Schedule of offsetting assets	The following table shows the net fair value of our counterparty positions had we elected to offset. (in millions) Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net March 31, 2020 Net derivative contracts $ 22 $ 25 $ — $ — $ 47 December 31, 2019 Net derivative contracts $ 24 $ 53 $ (5) $ (4) $ 68
Schedule of offsetting liabilities	The following table shows the net fair value of our counterparty positions had we elected to offset. (in millions) Prepaid Expenses and Other Other Noncurrent Assets Other Accrued Liabilities Other Noncurrent Liabilities Hedge Derivatives, net March 31, 2020 Net derivative contracts $ 22 $ 25 $ — $ — $ 47 December 31, 2019 Net derivative contracts $ 24 $ 53 $ (5) $ (4) $ 68
Schedule of derivative gains (losses)	Not Designated Hedge Gains (Losses) Gains (losses) related to our foreign currency exchange and fuel hedge contracts are as follows: Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income (in millions) 2020 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, Foreign currency exchange contracts Gain/(loss) on investments, net $ 19 $ 11 Fuel hedge contracts Aircraft fuel and related taxes 216 (54) Total $ 235 $ (43)

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of debt	The following table summarizes our debt: Maturity Interest Rate(s) Per Annum at March 31, December 31, (in millions) Dates March 31, 2020 2020 2019 Unsecured notes 2020 to 2029 2.60% to 4.38% $ 4,550 $ 5,550 2020 Secured Term Loan Facility (1) 2021 2.75% to 2.96% 2,700 — Financing arrangements secured by aircraft: Certificates (2) 2020 to 2028 2.00% to 8.02% 2,611 1,669 Notes (1)(2) 2020 to 2025 1.37% to 6.03% 1,243 1,193 NYTDC Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2018 (2) 2022 to 2036 4.00% to 5.00% 1,383 1,383 Other financings (1)(2)(3) 2021 to 2030 1.99% to 8.75% 256 196 2018 Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (1) 2021 to 2023 2.45% 2,650 — Other revolving credit facilities (1) 2020 to 2021 2.37% to 3.21% 292 — Total secured and unsecured debt 15,685 9,991 Unamortized premium and debt issue cost, net and other 155 115 Total debt 15,840 10,106 Less: current maturities (4,090) (2,054) Total long-term debt $ 11,750 $ 8,052 (1) Certain financings are comprised of variable rate debt. All variable rates are equal to LIBOR (generally subject to a floor) or another index rate, in each case plus a specified margin. (2) Due in installments. (3) Primarily includes unsecured bonds and debt secured by certain accounts receivable and real estate.
Schedule of pass through certificates	The proceeds of this issuance were used to pay the unsecured notes that matured in the March 2020 quarter. The details of the 2020-1 EETC, which is secured by 33 aircraft, are shown in the table below: (in millions) Total Principal Fixed Interest Rate Issuance Date Final Maturity Date 2020-1 Class AA Certificates $ 796 2.00% March 2020 June 2028 2020-1 Class A Certificates 204 2.50% March 2020 June 2028 Total $ 1,000
Schedule of estimated fair value of debt instruments	The fair value of debt, shown below, is principally based on reported market values, recently completed market transactions and estimates based on interest rates, maturities, credit risk and underlying collateral. Debt is primarily classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. (in millions) March 31, December 31, Net carrying amount $ 15,840 $ 10,106 Fair value $ 14,800 $ 10,400

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Schedule of components net periodic (benefit) cost	The following table shows the components of net periodic (benefit) cost: Pension Benefits Other Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits (in millions) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Three Months Ended March 31, Service cost $ — $ — $ 24 $ 21 Interest cost 175 208 28 34 Expected return on plan assets (343) (297) (11) (12) Amortization of prior service credit — — (2) (2) Recognized net actuarial loss 75 73 10 9 Net periodic (benefit) cost $ (93) $ (16) $ 49 $ 50

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of future aircraft purchase commitments	Our future aircraft purchase commitments totaled approximately $14.7 billion at March 31, 2020: (in millions) Total Nine months ending December 31, 2020 $ 2,560 2021 4,560 2022 3,060 2023 1,860 2024 1,000 Thereafter 1,700 Total $ 14,740 Our future aircraft purchase commitments included the following aircraft at March 31, 2020: Aircraft Type Purchase Commitments A220-100 14 A220-300 50 A321-200 27 A321-200neo 100 A330-900neo (1) 32 A350-900 26 CRJ-900 4 Total 253

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Schedule of components of accumulated other comprehensive loss	The following tables show the components of accumulated other comprehensive loss: (in millions) Pension and Other Benefit Liabilities (2) Other Total Balance at January 1, 2020 (net of tax effect of $1,549) $ (8,095) $ 106 $ (7,989) Changes in value (net of tax effect of $3) — 21 21 Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect of $21) (1) 70 — 70 Balance at March 31, 2020 (net of tax effect of $1,531) $ (8,025) $ 127 $ (7,898) Balance at January 1, 2019 (net of tax effect of $1,492) $ (7,925) $ 100 $ (7,825) Changes in value (net of tax effect of $1) — (2) (2) Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect of $19) (1) 60 1 61 Balance at March 31, 2019 (net of tax effect of $1,474) $ (7,865) $ 99 $ (7,766) (1) Amounts reclassified from AOCI for pension and other benefit liabilities and for derivative contracts designated as foreign currency cash flow hedges are recorded in miscellaneous, net in non-operating expense and in passenger revenue, respectively, in our income statement. (2) Includes $672 million of deferred income tax expense primarily related to pension and other benefit obligations that will not be recognized in net income until these obligations are fully extinguished. We consider all income sources, including other comprehensive income, in determining the amount of tax benefit allocated to continuing operations.

Segments (Tables)

Segments (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of segment reporting information	Segment results are prepared based on our internal accounting methods described below, with reconciliations to consolidated amounts in accordance with GAAP. Our segments are not designed to measure operating income or loss directly related to the products and services included in each segment on a stand-alone basis. (in millions) Airline Refinery Intersegment Sales/Other Consolidated Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Operating revenue: $ 8,592 $ 1,184 $ 8,592 Sales to airline segment $ (210) (1) Exchanged products (831) (2) Sales of refined products (143) (3) Operating (loss) income (439) 29 — (410) Interest expense (income), net 80 (1) — 79 Depreciation and amortization 678 25 (25) (4) 678 Total assets, end of period 66,864 1,874 — 68,738 Capital expenditures 926 11 — 937 Three Months Ended March 31, 2019 Operating revenue: $ 10,424 $ 1,283 $ 10,472 Sales to airline segment $ (271) (1) Exchanged products (732) (2) Sales of refined products (232) (3) Operating income (loss) 1,054 (34) — 1,020 Interest expense (income), net 92 (9) — 83 Depreciation and amortization 615 23 (23) (4) 615 Total assets, end of period 60,343 1,498 — 61,841 Capital expenditures 1,350 10 — 1,360 (1) Represents transfers, valued on a market price basis, from the refinery to the airline segment for use in airline operations. We determine market price by reference to the market index for the primary delivery location, which is New York Harbor, for jet fuel from the refinery. (2) Represents value of products delivered under our exchange agreements, as discussed above, determined on a market price basis. (3) These sales were at or near cost; accordingly, the margin on these sales is de minimis. (4) Refinery segment operating results, including depreciation and amortization, are included within aircraft fuel and related taxes in our income statement.

(Loss)_Earnings Per Share (Tabl

(Loss)/Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of computation of basic and diluted earnings per share	The following table shows the computation of basic and diluted (loss)/earnings per share: Three Months Ended March 31, (in millions, except per share data) 2020 2019 Net (loss)/income $ (534) $ 730 Basic weighted average shares outstanding 637 665 Dilutive effect of share-based awards — 2 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 637 667 Basic (loss)/earnings per share $ (0.84) $ 1.10 Diluted (loss)/earnings per share $ (0.84) $ 1.09

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandem_3

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Apr. 22, 2020USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020aircraft	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)numberOfEmployeesaircraft	Jun. 30, 2020aircraft	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019USD ($)
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Number of aircraft removed from active service | aircraft			400
Number of employees volunteering for leave | numberOfEmployees			35,000
Salary reduction for company officers (percent)			50.00%
Salary reduction for director-level employees (percent)			25.00%
Work hours reduction for management and most front-line employee work groups (percent)			25.00%
Cash and cash equivalents			$ 5,967,000,000		$ 2,882,000,000	$ 1,910,000,000
Reduction in planned capital expenditures			3,500,000,000
Loans secured by certain widebody aircraft			150,000,000
Delay in planned voluntary pension funding			500,000,000
Unencumbered assets			$ 15,000,000,000
Minimum
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Voluntary unpaid leave duration			30 days
Maximum
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Voluntary unpaid leave duration			12 months
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount			$ 2,700,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Proceeds from revolving credit facilities			$ 3,000,000,000
Subsequent Event | Aircraft sale leaseback
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Sale leaseback transactions	$ 1,200,000,000
Subsequent Event | 2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 3,000,000,000
Forecast
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Expected year-over-year decrease In system capacity (percent)		85.00%
Percentage of fleet temporarily parked (percent)		50.00%
Number of aircraft removed from active service | aircraft		250		650
International | Forecast
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Expected year-over-year decrease In system capacity (percent)		90.00%
Domestic | Forecast
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Expected year-over-year decrease In system capacity (percent)		80.00%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandem_4

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Valuation of Goodwill and Indefinite-Lived Intangibles (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill		$ 9,753	$ 9,781
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			234.00%
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles		15,671	$ 14,841
International routes and slots
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangibles		2,583	$ 2,583
International routes and slots | Minimum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			15.00%
International routes and slots | Maximum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			29.00%
Airline alliances
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangibles		1,863	$ 1,005
Airline alliances | Minimum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			67.00%
Airline alliances | Maximum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			576.00%
Airline alliances | LATAM
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Acquisition of indefinite-lived intangible asset	$ 1,200
Delta tradename
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangibles		850	$ 850
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			185.00%
Domestic slots
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangibles		$ 622	$ 622
Domestic slots | Minimum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			61.00%
Domestic slots | Maximum
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Fair Value Excess at 2019 Testing Date			181.00%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandem_5

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic - Valuation of Long-Lived Assets (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020aircraft	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)aircraft	Jun. 30, 2020aircraft
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Flight equipment and other long-lived assets | $		$ 31,600
Number of aircraft removed from active service | aircraft		400
MD-88
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Impairment charge related to retired fleet | $		$ 22
Forecast
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Number of aircraft removed from active service | aircraft	250		650

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandem_6

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic - CARES Act (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	Apr. 20, 2020	Mar. 27, 2020	Apr. 22, 2020	Apr. 30, 2030
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
CARES Act relief grants available to airline industry		$ 25,000,000,000
CARES Act secured loans available to airline industry		25,000,000,000
Expected eligibility amount for secured loans through CARES Act		$ 4,600,000,000
CARES Act deferred employer portion of social security taxes, deferred percentage due in first year after deferral (percent)		50.00%
CARES Act deferred employer portion of social security taxes, deferred percentage due in second year after deferral (percent)		50.00%
Expected additional liquidity through deferred payment of employer portion of social security taxes		$ 200,000,000
Subsequent Event
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Total amount of relief received through payroll support program of CARES Act			$ 5,400,000,000
Grants received through payroll support program of CARES Act			$ 3,800,000,000
Proceeds from payroll support program grant	$ 2,700,000,000
Subsequent Event | Delta Common Stock Warrants
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Number of warrants (in shares)			6.5
Warrant exercise price (USD per share)			$ 24.39
Warrants term (in years)			5 years
Unsecured Debt | CARES Act Unsecured Loan | Subsequent Event
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount			$ 1,600,000,000
Debt instrument term			10 years
Interest rate per annum (percent)			1.00%
Unsecured Debt | CARES Act Unsecured Loan | SOFR | Forecast
Impact Of Global Pandemic [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)				2.00%

Revenue Recognition - Passenger

Revenue Recognition - Passenger Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Passenger
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	7,569	9,254
Ticket
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	6,511	7,988
Loyalty travel awards
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	543	692
Travel-related services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 515	$ 574

Revenue Recognition - Narrative

Revenue Recognition - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
General terms of validity for passenger tickets and credits from date of original ticket issuance	1 year
Total value of refunds to customers	$ 850
Cash sales of mileage credits	$ 992	$ 980
Majority of new miles redemption period (in years)	2 years
Air traffic
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue recognized that was previously deferred	$ 2,800

Revenue Recognition - Other Rev

Revenue Recognition - Other Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	871	1,026
Loyalty program
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	474	474
Ancillary businesses and refinery
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	223	369
Miscellaneous
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 174	$ 183

Revenue Recognition - Loyalty P

Revenue Recognition - Loyalty Program Liability (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Frequent Flyer Liability Activity [Roll Forward]
Miles earned	$ 660	$ 720
Travel miles redeemed	(543)	(692)
Non-travel miles redeemed	(28)	(45)
Loyalty program
Frequent Flyer Liability Activity [Roll Forward]
Deferred revenue (current and noncurrent), beginning	6,728	6,641
Deferred revenue (current and noncurrent), ending	$ 6,817	$ 6,624

Revenue Recognition - Revenue b

Revenue Recognition - Revenue by Geographic Region (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Domestic
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	6,267	7,516
Atlantic
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	994	1,287
Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	863	969
Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	468	700
Passenger
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	7,569	9,254
Passenger | Domestic
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	5,601	6,741
Passenger | Atlantic
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	818	1,074
Passenger | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	765	861
Passenger | Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Operating revenue	$ 385	$ 578

Fair Value Measurements - Sched

Fair Value Measurements - Schedule of Fair Value Measurements on a Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Long-term investments	$ 1,367	$ 1,099
Recurring
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Cash equivalents	4,669	586
Restricted cash equivalents	494	847
Long-term investments	1,367	1,099
Recurring | Fuel hedge contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	8	1
Recurring | Interest rate contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	25	61
Recurring | Foreign currency exchange contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	14	6
Recurring | Level 1
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Cash equivalents	4,669	586
Restricted cash equivalents	494	847
Long-term investments	908	881
Recurring | Level 1 | Fuel hedge contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	(5)	(1)
Recurring | Level 1 | Interest rate contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	0	0
Recurring | Level 1 | Foreign currency exchange contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	0	0
Recurring | Level 2
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash equivalents	0	0
Long-term investments	459	218
Recurring | Level 2 | Fuel hedge contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	13	2
Recurring | Level 2 | Interest rate contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	25	61
Recurring | Level 2 | Foreign currency exchange contracts
Fair Value, Net Asset (Liability)
Hedge derivatives, net	$ 14	$ 6

Investments - Narrative (Detail

Investments - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2020USD ($)joint_venture_party$ / shares	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)aircraft	Mar. 31, 2019USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net gain (loss) on Investments		$ (112,000,000)	$ 100,000,000
Acquisition of strategic investments		$ 2,099,000,000	$ 0
Number of parties in joint venture | joint_venture_party	3
LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)		20.00%		0.00%
Acquisition of strategic investments	$ 1,900,000,000
Per share price in tender offer (USD per share) | $ / shares	$ 16
Total consideration for investment	$ 2,300,000,000
Carrying value	1,100,000,000	$ 1,088,000,000		$ 0
Alliance-related | LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Consideration allocated to indefinite-lived intangible asset	1,200,000,000
Wheels Up
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Gain on transaction to combine subsidiary with Wheels Up	240,000,000
LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Planned transition payments to support establishment of strategic alliance		$ 350,000,000
Payments to support establishment of strategic alliance				$ 200,000,000
LATAM | A350
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of aircraft agreed to acquire | aircraft		4
Number of aircraft assumed | aircraft		10
Virgin Atlantic
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Receivable due from Virgin Atlantic	$ 200,000,000
Wheels Up
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)		27.00%		0.00%
Term loan facility | Financial guarantee
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Guarantee borrowings on third party debt		$ 300,000,000
Guarantee borrowings on third party debt, term (in years)		5 years
Percentage of guarantee secured by ownership interest		50.00%

Investments - Fair Value Invest

Investments - Fair Value Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Fair Value Investments
Carrying value	$ 1,367	$ 1,099
Hanjin-KAL
Fair Value Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	15.00%	10.00%
Carrying value	$ 538	$ 205
Air France-KLM
Fair Value Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	9.00%	9.00%
Carrying value	$ 211	$ 418
China Eastern
Fair Value Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	3.00%	3.00%
Carrying value	$ 159	$ 258
Wheels Up
Fair Value Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	27.00%	0.00%
Carrying value	$ 234	$ 0
Other investments
Fair Value Investments
Carrying value	$ 225	$ 218

Investments - Equity Method Inv

Investments - Equity Method Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Jan. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
LATAM
Equity Method Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	20.00%		0.00%
Carrying value	$ 1,088	$ 1,100	$ 0
Grupo Aeromexico
Equity Method Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	51.00%		51.00%
Carrying value	$ 770		$ 833
Voting interest limit per bylaws (percent)	49.00%
Virgin Atlantic
Equity Method Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	49.00%		49.00%
Carrying value	$ 207		$ 375
AirCo
Equity Method Investments
Ownership interest (percent)	49.00%		49.00%
Carrying value	$ 141		$ 142

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_3

Derivatives and Risk Management - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Cash generated from unwinding of interest rate swap contracts	$ 100

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_4

Derivatives and Risk Management - Hedge Position (Details) € in Millions, ₩ in Millions, gal in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020KRW (₩)gal	Dec. 31, 2019KRW (₩)gal	Mar. 31, 2020EUR (€)	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total derivative contracts, net				$ 47		$ 68
Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total derivative contracts, assets				112		38
Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total derivative contracts, assets				25		53
Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total derivative contracts, liabilities				(90)		(19)
Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Total derivative contracts, liabilities				0		(4)
Foreign exchange contracts - Euro based | Not designated as hedges
Derivatives, Fair Value
Volume | €			€ 238		€ 397
Foreign currency exchange contracts, net				11		9
Foreign exchange contracts - Euro based | Not designated as hedges | Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, assets				11		9
Foreign exchange contracts - Euro based | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, assets				0		0
Foreign exchange contracts - Euro based | Not designated as hedges | Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, liabilities				0		0
Foreign exchange contracts - Euro based | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, liabilities				0		0
Foreign exchange contracts - Won based | Not designated as hedges
Derivatives, Fair Value
Volume | ₩	₩ 177,045	₩ 177,045
Foreign currency exchange contracts, net				3		(3)
Foreign exchange contracts - Won based | Not designated as hedges | Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, assets				1		1
Foreign exchange contracts - Won based | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, assets				2		0
Foreign exchange contracts - Won based | Not designated as hedges | Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, liabilities				0		0
Foreign exchange contracts - Won based | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Foreign currency exchange contracts, liabilities				0		(4)
Fuel hedge contracts | Not designated as hedges
Derivatives, Fair Value
Volume, nonmonetary | gal	219	243
Fuel hedge contracts, net				8		1
Fuel hedge contracts | Not designated as hedges | Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivatives, Fair Value
Fuel hedge contracts, assets				98		16
Fuel hedge contracts | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Fuel hedge contracts, assets				0		0
Fuel hedge contracts | Not designated as hedges | Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Fuel hedge contracts, liabilities				(90)		(15)
Fuel hedge contracts | Not designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Fuel hedge contracts, liabilities				0		0
Fair value hedges | Interest rate contracts | Designated as hedges
Derivatives, Fair Value
Volume				150		1,872
Interest rate contract, net				25		61
Fair value hedges | Interest rate contracts | Designated as hedges | Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivatives, Fair Value
Interest rate contract, assets				2		12
Fair value hedges | Interest rate contracts | Designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivatives, Fair Value
Interest rate contract, assets				23		53
Fair value hedges | Interest rate contracts | Designated as hedges | Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Interest rate contract, liabilities				0		(4)
Fair value hedges | Interest rate contracts | Designated as hedges | Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivatives, Fair Value
Interest rate contract, liabilities				$ 0		$ 0

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_5

Derivatives and Risk Management - Balance Sheet Location of Hedged Item (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Derivative [Line Items]
Cumulative amount of adjustments remaining for which hedge accounting has been discontinued	$ 100
Current maturities of debt and finance leases
Derivative [Line Items]
Carrying amount of hedge instruments	22	$ (19)
Cumulative amount of fair value hedge adjustments	22	8
Debt and finance leases
Derivative [Line Items]
Carrying amount of hedge instruments	(47)	(1,783)
Cumulative amount of fair value hedge adjustments	$ 102	$ 53

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_6

Derivatives and Risk Management - Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Derivative
Total derivative contracts, net	$ 47	$ 68
Prepaid Expenses and Other
Derivative
Net derivative contracts, assets	22	24
Other Noncurrent Assets
Derivative
Net derivative contracts, assets	25	53
Other Accrued Liabilities
Derivative
Net derivative contracts, liabilities	0	(5)
Other Noncurrent Liabilities
Derivative
Net derivative contracts, liabilities	$ 0	$ (4)

Derivatives and Risk Manageme_7

Derivatives and Risk Management - Not Designated Hedge Gains (Losses) (Details) - Not designated as hedges - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivatives recognized	$ 235	$ (43)
Foreign currency exchange contracts | Gain/(loss) on investments, net
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivatives recognized	19	11
Fuel hedge contracts | Aircraft fuel and related taxes
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on derivatives recognized	$ 216	$ (54)

Debt - Summary of Debt (Details

Debt - Summary of Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total secured and unsecured debt	$ 15,685	$ 9,991
Unamortized premium and debt issuance cost, net and other	155	115
Total debt	15,840	10,106
Less: current maturities	(4,090)	(2,054)
Total long-term debt	$ 11,750	8,052
Unsecured notes | Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Apr. 1, 2020
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2029
Debt, gross	$ 4,550	5,550
Unsecured notes | Unsecured Debt | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.60%
Unsecured notes | Unsecured Debt | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	4.38%
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity date	Mar. 31, 2021
Debt, gross	$ 2,700	0
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.75%
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.96%
Financing secured by aircraft - Certificates | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Apr. 1, 2020
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2028
Debt, gross	$ 2,611	1,669
Financing secured by aircraft - Certificates | Secured Debt | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.00%
Financing secured by aircraft - Certificates | Secured Debt | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	8.02%
Financing secured by aircraft - Notes | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Apr. 1, 2020
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2025
Debt, gross	$ 1,243	1,193
Financing secured by aircraft - Notes | Secured Debt | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	1.37%
Financing secured by aircraft - Notes | Secured Debt | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	6.03%
NYTDC Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2018 | Bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Jan. 1, 2022
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2036
Debt, gross	$ 1,383	1,383
NYTDC Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2018 | Bonds | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	4.00%
NYTDC Special Facilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2018 | Bonds | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	5.00%
Other financings | Secured and Unsecured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Jan. 1, 2021
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2030
Debt, gross	$ 256	196
Other financings | Secured and Unsecured Debt | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	1.99%
Other financings | Secured and Unsecured Debt | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	8.75%
2018 Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Jan. 1, 2021
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2023
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.45%
Debt, gross	$ 2,650	0
Other revolving credit facilities | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maturity dates range, start	Apr. 1, 2020
Maturity dates range, end	Dec. 31, 2021
Debt, gross	$ 292	$ 0
Other revolving credit facilities | Revolving Credit Facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	2.37%
Other revolving credit facilities | Revolving Credit Facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate per annum (percent)	3.21%

Debt - Narrative (Details)

Debt - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)aircraft	Apr. 22, 2020USD ($)
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds from revolving credit facilities		$ 3,000,000,000
Undrawn credit facilities	$ 21,000,000	21,000,000
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 2,700,000,000	2,700,000,000
Debt instrument term	364 days
Maximum amount available, including accordion feature	$ 4,000,000,000	4,000,000,000
2020 Secured Term Loan Facility | Term Loan | Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount			$ 3,000,000,000
Pass Through Certificates Series 2020-1 | Secured Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 1,000,000,000	$ 1,000,000,000
Number of aircraft to secure debt | aircraft		33

Debt - 2020-1 EETC (Details)

Debt - 2020-1 EETC (Details) - Secured Debt	1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Pass Through Certificates Series 2020-1
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 1,000,000,000
Pass Through Certificates 2020-1 Class AA
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 796,000,000
Fixed interest rate (percent)	2.00%
Issuance date	Mar. 1, 2020
Final maturity date	Jun. 30, 2028
Pass Through Certificates 2020-1 Class A
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument amount	$ 204,000,000
Fixed interest rate (percent)	2.50%
Issuance date	Mar. 31, 2020
Final maturity date	Jun. 30, 2028

Debt - Fair Value of Debt (Deta

Debt - Fair Value of Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt
Net carrying amount	$ 15,840	$ 10,106
Fair value	$ 14,800	$ 10,400

Employee Benefit Plans - Compon

Employee Benefit Plans - Components of Net (Benefit) Cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Service cost	$ 0	$ 0
Interest cost	175	208
Expected return on plan assets	(343)	(297)
Amortization of prior service credit	0	0
Recognized net actuarial loss	75	73
Net periodic (benefit) cost	(93)	(16)
Other Postretirement and Postemployment Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Service cost	24	21
Interest cost	28	34
Expected return on plan assets	(11)	(12)
Amortization of prior service credit	(2)	(2)
Recognized net actuarial loss	10	9
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$ 49	$ 50

Commitments and Contingencies -

Commitments and Contingencies - Aircraft Purchase Commitments By Period (Details) - Future aircraft purchase commitments $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2020USD ($)
Future aircraft purchase commitments:
Nine months ending December 31, 2020	$ 2,560
2021	4,560
2022	3,060
2023	1,860
2024	1,000
Thereafter	1,700
Total	$ 14,740

Commitments and Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies - Aircraft Purchase Commitments By Aircraft (Details) - Future aircraft purchase commitments	Mar. 31, 2020aircraftlease_commitments
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	253
A220-100
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	14
A220-300
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	50
A321-200
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	27
A321-200neo
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	100
A330-900neo
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	32
Number of lease commitments included in purchase commitment | lease_commitments	2
A350-900
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	26
CRJ-900
Future Purchase Commitments
Aircraft purchase commitments, minimum quantity required	4

Commitments and Contingencies_3

Commitments and Contingencies - Narrative (Details) - LATAM - A350-900	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020aircraft
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft agreed to acquire	4
Number of aircraft assumed	10
Future aircraft purchase commitments
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft agreed to acquire	4
Number of aircraft assumed	10

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - Schedule of AOCI Components (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss
Beginning balance	$ 15,358	$ 13,687
Beginning balance, tax effect		1,492
Changes in value (net of tax effect)	21	(2)
Changes in value, tax effect	(3)	1
Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect)	70	61
Reclassifications into earnings, tax effect	21	19
Ending balance	14,309	12,911
Ending balance, tax effect		1,474
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss
Beginning balance	(7,989)	(7,825)
Beginning balance, tax effect	1,549
Ending balance	(7,898)	(7,766)
Ending balance, tax effect	1,531
Pension and Other Benefit Liabilities
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss
Beginning balance	(8,095)	(7,925)
Changes in value (net of tax effect)	0	0
Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect)	70	60
Ending balance	(8,025)	(7,865)
Deferred income taxes related to pension obligation	672
Other
Components of accumulated other comprehensive loss
Beginning balance	106	100
Changes in value (net of tax effect)	21	(2)
Reclassifications into earnings (net of tax effect)	0	1
Ending balance	$ 127	$ 99

Segments - Narrative (Details)

Segments - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Intersegment Sales/Other | Exchanged products
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	$ (831)	$ (732)

Segments - Schedule of Segment

Segments - Schedule of Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	$ 8,592	$ 10,472
Operating income (loss)	(410)	1,020
Interest expense (income), net	79	83
Depreciation and amortization	678	615
Total assets, end of period	68,738	61,841	$ 64,532
Capital expenditures	937	1,360
Operating Segments | Airline
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	8,592	10,424
Operating income (loss)	(439)	1,054
Interest expense (income), net	80	92
Depreciation and amortization	678	615
Total assets, end of period	66,864	60,343
Capital expenditures	926	1,350
Operating Segments | Refinery
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	1,184	1,283
Operating income (loss)	29	(34)
Interest expense (income), net	(1)	(9)
Depreciation and amortization	25	23
Total assets, end of period	1,874	1,498
Capital expenditures	11	10
Intersegment Sales/Other
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating income (loss)	0	0
Interest expense (income), net	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	(25)	(23)
Total assets, end of period	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Intersegment Sales/Other | Sales to airline segment
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	(210)	(271)
Intersegment Sales/Other | Exchanged products
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	(831)	(732)
Intersegment Sales/Other | Sales of refined products
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss)
Operating revenue	$ (143)	$ (232)

(Loss)_Earnings Per Share - Sch

(Loss)/Earnings Per Share - Schedule of Computation for Earnings Per Share Types (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net (loss)/income	$ (534)	$ 730
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	637	665
Dilutive effect of share-based awards (shares)	0	2
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding (shares)	637	667
Basic (loss)/earnings per share (USD per share)	$ (0.84)	$ 1.10
Diluted (loss)/earnings per share (USD per share)	$ (0.84)	$ 1.09

Uncategorized Items - dal-20200

Label	Element	Value
Restricted Cash, Current	us-gaap_RestrictedCashCurrent	$ 57,000,000
Restricted Cash, Current	us-gaap_RestrictedCashCurrent	$ 39,000,000