SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
ýQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended March 31,June 30, 2018
  
OR
oTRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from               to            

Commission File Number 001-33166
algtheaderq417a02.jpg
Allegiant Travel Company
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Nevada20-4745737
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)(IRS Employer Identification No.)
  
1201 North Town Center Drive 
Las Vegas, Nevada89144
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code)
Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (702) 851-7300

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ý  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes ý  No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer  x
Accelerated filer  o
  
Non-accelerated filer  o
Smaller reporting company  o
  
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
Emerging growth company  o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o  No ý

The number of shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of the close of business on MayAugust 1, 2018 was 16,148,889.16,163,533.


Allegiant Travel Company
Form 10-Q
Table of Contents

PART I.FINANCIAL INFORMATION 
   
ITEM 1.
   
ITEM 2.
   
ITEM 3.
   
ITEM 4.
   
PART II.OTHER INFORMATION 
   
ITEM 1.
   
ITEM 1A.
   
ITEM 2.
   
ITEM 3.
   
ITEM 4.
   
ITEM 5.
   
ITEM 6.
   
 


PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements

ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands)

March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017June 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
(unaudited)  (unaudited)  
CURRENT ASSETS:   
CURRENT ASSETS   
Cash and cash equivalents$50,777
 $59,449
$28,981
 $59,449
Restricted cash12,370
 11,190
13,253
 11,190
Short-term investments341,262
 352,681
343,180
 352,681
Accounts receivable64,344
 71,057
24,184
 71,057
Expendable parts, supplies and fuel, net18,335
 17,647
20,419
 17,647
Prepaid expenses27,941
 23,931
34,447
 23,931
Other current assets1,776
 5,320
829
 5,320
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS516,805
 541,275
465,293
 541,275
Property and equipment, net1,635,821
 1,512,415
1,746,707
 1,512,415
Long-term investments85,659
 78,570
56,358
 78,570
Deferred major maintenance, net33,321
 31,326
36,957
 31,326
Deposits and other assets17,359
 16,571
20,190
 16,571
TOTAL ASSETS$2,288,965
 $2,180,157
CURRENT LIABILITIES:   
TOTAL ASSETS:$2,325,505
 $2,180,157
CURRENT LIABILITIES   
Accounts payable$29,801
 $20,108
$27,473
 $20,108
Accrued liabilities119,448
 105,127
124,326
 105,127
Air traffic liability256,773
 204,299
236,932
 204,299
Current maturities of notes payable and capital leases, net of related costs154,850
 214,761
Current maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of related costs144,392
 214,761
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES560,872
 544,295
533,123
 544,295
Long-term debt and capital leases, net of current maturities and related costs984,926
 950,131
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities and related costs992,322
 950,131
Deferred income taxes131,647
 119,013
144,254
 119,013
Other noncurrent liabilities11,716
 13,407
11,138
 13,407
TOTAL LIABILITIES:1,689,161
 1,626,846
1,680,837
 1,626,846
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:   
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY   
Common stock, par value $.00123
 23
23
 23
Treasury stock(607,888) (605,655)(607,025) (605,655)
Additional paid in capital259,225
 253,840
263,034
 253,840
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net(3,959) (2,840)(2,473) (2,840)
Retained earnings952,403
 907,943
991,109
 907,943
TOTAL EQUITY599,804
 553,311
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY$2,288,965
 $2,180,157
TOTAL EQUITY:644,668
 553,311
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:$2,325,505
 $2,180,157
 
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
 (unaudited)

Three Months Ended March 31,Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 20172018 2017 2018 2017
OPERATING REVENUE:          
Passenger revenue$396,771
 $347,836
$405,572
 $367,250
 $802,343
 $715,086
Third party products10,325

12,742
17,799

14,304
 28,124
 27,046
Fixed fee contract revenue10,556
 11,259
7,653
 11,029
 18,209
 22,289
Other revenue7,792
 8,174
5,756
 9,261
 13,548
 17,434
Total operating revenue425,444
 380,011
436,780
 401,844
 862,224
 781,855
OPERATING EXPENSES:          
Aircraft fuel106,027
 84,662
122,454
 85,387
 228,481
 170,049
Salary and benefits112,963
 96,298
101,645
 92,221
 214,608
 188,519
Station operations37,584
 31,832
41,553
 38,998
 79,137
 70,830
Maintenance and repairs19,270
 30,095
24,611
 28,645
 43,881
 58,740
Depreciation and amortization28,149
 30,549
29,833
 30,129
 57,983
 60,678
Sales and marketing19,078
 13,331
18,348
 13,492
 37,426
 26,822
Aircraft lease rentals21
 164
75
 2,400
 96
 2,564
Other22,384
 19,351
24,039
 24,777
 46,422
 44,129
Total operating expenses345,476
 306,282
362,558
 316,049
 708,034
 622,331
OPERATING INCOME79,968
 73,729
74,222
 85,795
 154,190
 159,524
OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSE:          
Interest expense12,724
 8,401
13,156
 8,889
 25,880
 17,291
Interest income(1,907) (1,264)(1,927) (1,475) (3,834) (2,739)
Other, net(240) (360)(50) (493) (290) (854)
Total other expense10,577
 6,777
11,179
 6,921
 21,756
 13,698
INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES69,391
 66,952
63,043
 78,874
 132,434
 145,826
PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES14,198
 24,601
13,027
 29,836
 27,225
 54,437
NET INCOME$55,193
 $42,351
$50,016
 $49,038
 $105,209
 $91,389
Earnings per share to common shareholders:          
Basic$3.43
 $2.54
$3.10
 $2.98
 $6.53
 $5.52
Diluted$3.42
 $2.54
$3.10
 $2.97
 $6.52
 $5.51
Shares used for computation:          
Basic15,889
 16,382
15,939
 16,198
 15,898
 16,290
Diluted15,898
 16,405
15,945
 16,220
 15,914
 16,317
          
Cash dividends declared per share:$0.70
 $0.70
$0.70
 $0.70
 $1.40
 $1.40

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands)
(unaudited)
 
Three Months Ended March 31,Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 20172018 2017 2018 2017
Net income$55,193
 $42,351
$50,016
 $49,038
 $105,209
 $91,389
Other comprehensive (loss) income: 
  
Other comprehensive income (loss): 
  
    
Change in available for sale securities, net of tax(956) 225
113
 (2) (843) 222
Foreign currency translation adjustments101
 (83)113
 (215) 214
 (298)
Change in derivatives, net of tax(135) (215)1,260
 (581) 996
 (1,085)
Reclassification of derivative gains into Other revenue(129) (289)
Total other comprehensive loss(1,119) (362)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)1,486
 (798) 367
 (1,161)
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME$54,074
 $41,989
$51,502
 $48,240
 $105,576
 $90,228

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
(unaudited)

Three Months Ended March 31,Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 20172018 2017
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:      
Net income$55,193
 $42,351
$105,209
 $91,389
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:      
Depreciation and amortization28,149
 30,549
57,983
 60,678
(Gain) loss on aircraft and other equipment disposals(132) 2,548
(1,491) 4,901
Provision for obsolescence of expendable parts, supplies and fuel586
 830
493
 1,753
Amortization of deferred financing costs494
 365
744
 775
Share-based compensation expense3,796
 4,349
6,106
 7,249
Deferred income taxes12,735
 2,508
25,241
 52,153
Changes in certain assets and liabilities:      
Decrease in accounts receivable6,713
 23,162
46,873
 16,572
Increase in prepaid expenses(4,439) (8,917)(10,516) (9,476)
Increase in accounts payable9,959
 9,394
7,631
 2,263
Increase (decrease) in accrued liabilities14,267
 (10,561)
Increase in accrued liabilities20,859
 10,382
Increase in air traffic liability52,474
 50,078
32,633
 42,394
Change in deferred major maintenance(4,476) (1,504)(7,841) (14,331)
Other, net(2,392) 1,405
(689) (3,782)
Net cash provided by operating activities172,927
 146,557
283,235
 262,920
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:      
Purchase of investment securities(93,933) (146,625)(168,923) (242,895)
Proceeds from maturities of investment securities97,224
 79,381
199,294
 154,334
Aircraft pre-delivery deposits
 (63,468)
Purchase of property and equipment, including capitalized interest(69,167) (58,536)(187,456) (118,846)
Other investing activities521
 382
(1,468) 1,352
Net cash used in investing activities(65,355) (125,398)(158,553) (269,523)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:      
Cash dividends paid to shareholders(11,295) (11,671)(22,605) (23,204)
Proceeds from the issuance of debt
 22,000
10,797
 134,540
Repurchase of common stock(2,233) (4,923)(2,994) (84,940)
Principal payments on debt and capital lease obligations(102,914) (26,425)(142,399) (64,876)
Other financing activities1,378
 (513)4,114
 188
Net cash used in financing activities(115,064) (21,532)(153,087) (38,292)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash(7,492) (373)(28,405) (44,895)
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD70,639
 76,358
70,639
 76,358
CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH AT END OF PERIOD$63,147
 $75,985
$42,234
 $31,463
      
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:      
CASH PAYMENTS FOR:      
Interest paid, net of amount capitalized$17,902
 $14,080
$24,370
 $16,001
Income taxes paid, net of refunds$37
 $374
Income taxes paid, net of (refunds)$(41,284) $(13,967)



The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the consolidated balance sheets:
As of March 31,As of June 30,
2018 20172018 2017
CURRENT ASSETS:

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents$50,777
 $64,732
$28,981
 $20,040
Restricted cash12,370
 11,253
13,253
 11,423
TOTAL CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS AND RESTRICTED CASH$63,147
 $75,985
TOTAL CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND RESTRICTED CASH$42,234
 $31,463

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(unaudited)

Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Allegiant Travel Company (the “Company”) and its majority-owned operating subsidiaries. The Company has no independent assets or operations, and all guarantees of the Company's publicly held debt are full and unconditional and joint and several. Any subsidiaries of the parent company other than the subsidiary guarantors are minor. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

These unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all normal recurring adjustments which management believes are necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the Company for the respective periods presented. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year financial statements to conform to classifications used in the current year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") have been omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission for Form 10-Q. These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and notes thereto included in the annual report of the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Standards Effective in Future Years

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02 related to leases. This standard will require leases with durations greater than twelve months to be recognized on the balance sheet as a lease liability and a corresponding right-of-use asset, and is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this standard effective January 1, 2019. The Company has not completed the assessment of this new standard. The Companystandard and believes adoption will have a significant impact on its consolidated balance sheets but is not expected to significantly change the recognition, measurement or presentation of associated expenses within the consolidated statements of income or cash flows.

Recently Adopted Standards

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, which amends the guidance in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 230 on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows. The primary purpose of the ASU is to reduce the diversity in practice that has resulted from the lack of consistency on this topic. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018. This standard was applied retrospectively, which resulted in the inclusion of restricted cash as shown in the beginning and ending balances of cash on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. A reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash from our Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows to the amounts reported within our Consolidated Balance Sheet is also included in a table below our Statement of Cash Flows.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, "Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)." This standard provides an option to reclassify stranded tax effects within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") to retained earnings. Stranded tax effects occur when a change in enacted tax rates is recorded in income from operations, even in situations in which the related income tax effects of items in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) were originally recognized in AOCI. This standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 31, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2018. Due to the adoption2018 and a one-time effect of this standard, $0.6 million was reclassified from AOCI to retained earnings as of March 31, 2018.June 30, 2018 as a result of this adoption.

In 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), (the "New Revenue Standard"). Under this ASU and subsequently issued amendments, revenue is recognized at the time a good or service is transferred to a customer for the amount of consideration received. Entities may use a full retrospective approach or report the


cumulative effect as of the date of adoption. WeThe Company adopted this standard using the full retrospective transition method effective January 1, 2018 and recast prior year results as shown below.results. See Note 2, "Revenue Recognition" for more information on the financial impact of this adoption.



Under the New Revenue Standard, revenue for all air-related ancillary fees that are directly related to ticket revenue, such as seat fees and baggage fees, are no longer considered distinct performance obligations separate from passenger travel and are reclassified into passenger revenue. These are deemed part of the single performance obligation of providing passenger transportation. While the adoption of the New Revenue Standard did not have a significant effect on earnings, $154.7$167.6 million and $322.3 million of air-related ancillary fees for the quarterthree and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, respectively, are now classified as passenger revenue.

The adoption of the New Revenue Standard resulted in a net reduction to our air traffic liability at December 31, 2017 of $5.9 million. This change resulted from the recognition of breakage revenue on issuance forof credit vouchers that are expected to expire unused. In addition, we now defer recognition of revenues for fees associated with flight changes or cancellations are now deferred rather than recognizingbeing recognized at the time the fee is incurred. The Company already recognizes revenue from the Co-brandco-brand credit card program on the deferral method.

The Company has a significant contract with Bank of America to issuehas issued The Allegiant World Mastercard® in which points are earned and awarded to cardholders in exchange for consideration received under an agreement with a seven year scheduled duration expiring in 2023. Under this arrangement, the Company identified the following deliverables: travel points to be awarded (the travel component), use of the Company’s brand and access to its member lists, and certain other advertising and marketing elements (collectively the marketing component). Consideration received from the Company’s co-brand agreement is allocated between the two components based on the relative selling price of each deliverable. The Company applies a level of management judgment and estimation in determining the best estimate of selling price for each deliverable by considering multiple inputs and methods including, but not limited to, the redemption value of points awarded, discounted cash flows, brand value, volume discounts, published selling prices, number of points to be awarded and number of points to be redeemed.

See
Note 2 "Revenue— Revenue Recognition" for more information.

Impact of Recently Adopted Standards

We recast certainCertain prior period amounts have been recast to conform withto the adoption of the New Revenue Standard as shown in the tables below.

   Three Months Ended March 31, 2017   Three Months Ended June 30, 2017 Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
 As Previously       Current
(in thousands, except per share data) ReportedAdjustments   Presentation
(in thousands, except per share As Previously Reported Current Presentation As Previously Reported Current Presentation
data) Adjustments Adjustments
Income Statement:      
Passenger revenue* $212,097
$135,739
$347,836
Passenger revenue (1) $220,615
$146,635
$367,250
 $432,713
$282,373
$715,086
Air-related charges 131,565
(131,565)
 145,405
(145,405)
 276,970
(276,970)
Sales and marketing 9,998
3,333
13,331
 12,861
631
13,492
 22,859
3,963
26,822
Income tax provision 24,479
122
24,601
 29,800
36
29,836
 54,279
158
54,437
Net income 41,632
719
42,351
 48,475
563
49,038
 90,107
1,282
91,389
Diluted earnings per share $2.50
$0.04
$2.54
 $2.94
$0.03
$2.97
 $5.43
$0.08
$5.51
*(1) Passenger revenue previously reported as Scheduled service revenue.
  December 31, 2017
   As Previously        Current
(in thousands)  ReportedAdjustments   Presentation
Balance Sheet:    
   Air traffic liability $210,184
$(5,885)$204,299
   Deferred income taxes 118,492
521
119,013
   Retained earnings 902,579
5,364
907,943


Note 2 — Revenue Recognition

Passenger Revenue

Passenger revenue is primarily composed of passenger ticket sales, credit voucher breakage, seat fees, baggage fees, and other travel-related services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight.flight, as well as co-brand point redemptions as outlined below:

Three Months Ended March 31,Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 2017
(in thousands)2018 2017 2018 2017
Scheduled service$238,520
 $214,263
$235,746
 $220,811
 $474,267
 $435,075
Air-related ancillary charges154,717
 133,223
167,630
 145,887
 322,347
 279,111
Co-brand redemption3,534
 350
Co-brand redemptions2,196
 552
 5,729
 900
Total passenger revenue$396,771
 $347,836
$405,572
 $367,250
 $802,343
 $715,086

Scheduled service

Passenger tickets.tickets. We provideThe Company provides scheduled air transportation on limited-frequency, nonstop flights predominantly between under-served cities and popular leisure destinations. We record salesSales of passenger tickets to benot yet flown by usare recorded in air traffic liability. Passenger revenue is recognized when we provide transportation is provided or when ticket voucher breakage occurs.

WeThe contract term of passenger tickets is 12 months and revenue associated with future travel will principally be recognized $155.9within this time frame. $187.8 million inwas recognized into passenger revenue during the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 that was recorded in ourthe air traffic liability balance of $204.3 million at December 31, 2017. We expect the remaining balance of the December 31, 2017 air traffic liability to be recognized during the remainder of 2018.

Credit voucher breakage.breakage. We estimateThe Company estimates the value of vouchers that will expire unused and recognizerecognizes revenue at the time the credit voucher is issued.

Air-related

Air-related revenue is primarily composed of services performed in conjunction with a passenger's flight includingand include baggage fees, the use of the Company’s website to purchase scheduled service transportation, advance seat assignments, and other services. We recognize revenueRevenue for these services is recognized when the related transportation service is provided. Prior to the adoption of the New Revenue Standard, the majority of these fees were classified separately as Ancillary air-relatedAir-related ancillary charges.

Co-brand redemption

In relation to the travel component of the contract with Bank of America, the Company has a performance obligation to provide cardholders with points to be used for future travel award redemptions. Therefore, consideration received from Bank of America related to the travel component is deferred based on its relative selling price and is recognized into passenger revenue when the points are redeemed and the transportation is provided.

The following table presents the activity of the current and non-current point liabilities (in thousands):
 2018
Balance at January 1$8,903
Points awarded6,898
Points redeemed(5,730)
Balance at June 30$10,071

As of June 30, 2018, $6.9 million of the current points liability is reflected in Accrued liabilities and represents our current estimate of revenue to be recognized in the next twelve months based on historical trends, with the remaining balance reflected in Other noncurrent liabilities expected to be recognized into revenue in periods thereafter. See below, Third Party Products revenue, for a discussion of the marketing component.

 Points liability
Balance at January 1, 2018$8,903
Points awarded3,233
Points redeemed(3,534)
Balance at March 31, 2018$8,602

As of March 31, 2018, the amount of deferred revenue allocated to the co-branded credit card program is $8.6 million and is reflected in the Company's consolidated balance sheet with the short-term component in Accrued liabilities and the remainder in Other noncurrent liabilities. This is estimated to be recognized over the next two years.


Third Party Products

Third party products revenue is generated from the sale of hotel rooms, rental cars, ticket attractions and co-brand marketing revenue.

Revenue from the sale of hotel rooms, rental cars, and ticket attractions is recognized at the time the product is utilized, such as the time a purchased hotel room is occupied. The Company follows the accounting standards for determining whether it is a principal or anversus agent in revenue arrangements to determine the amount of revenue to be recognized for each element of a bundled sale involving air-related charges and third party products, in addition to airfare. Revenue from the sale of third party products is recorded net (treatment as an agent) of amounts paid to wholesale providers, travel agent commissions, and transaction costs.

Pursuant to the co-brand agreement with Bank of America, the Company has various performance obligations collectively referred to as the marketing component. These obligations consist of use of the Company’s brand and access to its member lists, and certain other advertising and marketing elements. The marketing component is recorded as third party products revenue in the period in which points are awarded to the credit card holders.

Fixed Fee Contract Revenue

Fixed fee contract revenue consists of agreements to provide charter service on a year-round and ad hoc basis. Fixed fee contract revenue is recognized when the transportation is provided.

Other Revenue

Other revenue is generated from leased aircraft, engines, and other miscellaneous sources. Lease revenue is recognized ratably over the lease term.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable, reflected on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet,consolidated balance Sheets, primarily consist of amounts due from credit card companies associated with passenger revenue. These receivables are short-term, generally settled within a few days of sale. Bad debt expense, which occurs in the form of credit card chargebacks, was not material in any period presented.


Taxes and Fees

Various taxes and fees, assessed on the sale of tickets to customers, are collected by the Company serving as an agent, and remitted to taxing authorities. These taxes and fees are not included as revenue in the Company’s consolidated statements of income and are recorded as a liability until remitted to the appropriate taxing authority.

Note 3 — Property and Equipment

Property and equipment (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017As of June 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
Flight equipment, including pre-delivery deposits$1,668,984
 $1,539,433
$1,785,184
 $1,539,433
Computer hardware and software124,728
 123,675
131,661
 123,675
Other property and equipment142,630
 125,855
151,802
 125,855
Total property and equipment1,936,342
 1,788,963
2,068,647
 1,788,963
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization(300,521) (276,548)(321,940) (276,548)
Property and equipment, net$1,635,821
 $1,512,415
$1,746,707
 $1,512,415



Note 4 — Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt and capital lease obligations (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017As of June 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
Fixed-rate notes payable and capital lease obligations due through 2029$542,352
 $465,462
Variable-rate notes payable due through 2027597,424
 699,430
Fixed-rate debt and capital lease obligations due through 2030$577,452
 $465,462
Variable-rate debt due through 2027559,262
 699,430
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of related costs1,139,776
 1,164,892
1,136,714
 1,164,892
Less current maturities, net of related costs154,850
 214,761
144,392
 214,761
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities and related costs$984,926
 $950,131
$992,322
 $950,131
      
Weighted average fixed-interest rate on debt5.4% 5.4%5.4% 5.4%
Weighted average variable-interest rate on debt3.8% 3.3%4.0% 3.3%

Maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations for the remainder of 2018 and for the next five years and thereafter, in the aggregate, are: remaining in 2018 - $129.9$92.5 million; 2019 - $552.2$555.4 million; 2020 - $99.8$103.5 million; 2021 - $72.8$76.6 million; 2022 - $45.5$49.2 million; and $239.6$259.5 million thereafter.

Secured Debt

During the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, the Company did not enter into any newborrowed $10.8 million under a loan agreements.agreement secured by various ground equipment. The notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 4.2 percent per year, payable in monthly installments over five years.

Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility

In 2015, the Company, through a wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a senior secured revolving credit facility under which it was entitled to borrow up to $56.0 million. As of December 31, 2017, the balance under this facility was $41.3 million, net of related costs, with five Airbus aircraft included in the collateral pool. In March 2018, the Company paid off the remaining balance under this facility.

On March 30, 2018,of the Company amended this facility and will now be ableamended it to borrow upincrease the borrowing limit to $81.0 millionmillion. The amended facility has a term of 24 months and is based on the value of Airbus A320 Series aircraft which the Company may choose to place in the collateral pool. The facility has a term of 24 months. Any notes under the facility will bear interest at a floating rate based on LIBOR plus 1.75 percent. An individual aircraft may remain in the collateral pool for up to two years. As of March 31, 2018, thereThere was no balance under this facility as of June 30, 2018.

See Note 10, "Subsequent Events," for more information on thisthe revolving credit facility.

General Unsecured Senior Notes

In June 2014, the Company completed an offering of $300.0 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured obligations (the "Notes") which will mature in July 2019. In December 2016, the Company completed an offering of an additional $150.0 million principal amount of these notes, which were issued at a price of 101.5 percent of the principal amount, plus accrued interest from July 15, 2016. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.5 percent per year, payable in cash semi-annually, on January 1515th and July 1515th of each year.

The indenture pursuant to which the Notes were issued includes operating and financial restrictions on the Company. These restrictions limit or restrict, among other things, the Company’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries to (i) incur additional indebtedness; (ii) incur liens; (iii) make restricted payments (including paying dividends on, redeeming, repurchasing or retiring capital stock); (iv) make investments; and (v) consolidate, merge or sell all or substantially all of its assets. These covenants are subject to various exceptions and qualifications under the terms of the indenture. As of December 31, 2017 and also March 31,June 30, 2018, the Company exceeded the consolidated total leverage ratio limit, which could affect the ability to make restricted payments in future periods after exhaustion of various exceptions. However, we doit is not expectexpected that this towill have any impact on the restricted payments we routinely makemade in the ordinary course of business. The calculation is made on a quarterly basis based on the trailing 12 months.



Capital Leases

The Company has capital lease obligations related to aircraft, which significantly impacted our recognized assets and liabilities as of March 31,June 30, 2018, but did not result in any materialsignificant cash receipts or cash payments during the quarter.

Note 5 — Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. Fair value is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received by selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants.

Accounting standards pertaining to fair value measurements establish a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value. These tiers include: Level 1, defined as observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2, defined as inputs other than Level 1 inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable; and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs for which little or no market data exists, therefore requiring an entity to develop its own assumptions.

The Company uses the market approach valuation technique to determine fair value for investment securities. The assets classified as Level 1 consist of money market funds for which original cost approximates fair value. The assets classified as Level 2 consist of commercial paper, municipal debt securities, federal agency debt securities, US Treasury Bonds, and corporate debt securities, which are valued using quoted market prices or alternative pricing sources including transactions involving identical or comparable assets and models utilizing market observable inputs. The Company has no investment securities classified as Level 3.

For those assets classified as Level 2 that are not in active markets, the Company obtains fair value from pricing sources using quoted market prices for identical or comparable instruments, and uses pricing models which include all significant observable inputs: maturity dates, issue dates, settlement dates, benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, issue spreads, benchmark securities, bids, offers and other market related data. These inputs are observable or can be derived from, or corroborated by, observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset.

The fair value of the Company's derivative instrument is determined using standard valuation models. The significant inputs used in these models are readily available in public markets or can be derived from observable market transactions and therefore have been classified as Level 2. Inputs used in these standard valuation models for derivative instruments include the applicable exchange and interest rates.


Financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
 
As of March 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017As of June 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2017
Total Level 1 Level 2 Total Level 1 Level 2Total Level 1 Level 2 Total Level 1 Level 2
Cash equivalents                      
Commercial paper$33,473
 $
 $33,473
 $27,910
 $
 $27,910
$9,952
 $
 $9,952
 $27,910
 $
 $27,910
Municipal debt securities3,102
 
 3,102
 2,782
 
 2,782
5,325
 
 5,325
 2,782
 
 2,782
Money market funds889
 889
 
 1,297
 1,297
 
115
 115
 
 1,297
 1,297
 
Total cash equivalents37,464
 889
 36,575
 31,989
 1,297
 30,692
15,392
 115
 15,277
 31,989
 1,297
 30,692
Short-term 
  
    
  
  
 
  
    
  
  
Commercial paper141,091
 
 141,091
 108,678
 
 108,678
Corporate debt securities122,875
 
 122,875
 107,878
 
 107,878
116,804
 
 116,804
 107,878
 
 107,878
Commercial paper101,058
 
 101,058
 108,678
 
 108,678
Municipal debt securities76,381
 
 76,381
 101,290
 
 101,290
53,143
 
 53,143
 101,290
 
 101,290
Federal agency debt securities39,529
 
 39,529
 31,428
 
 31,428
30,718
 
 30,718
 31,428
 
 31,428
US Treasury Bonds1,419
 
 1,419
 3,407
 
 3,407
1,424
 
 1,424
 3,407
 
 3,407
Total short-term341,262
 
 341,262
 352,681
 
 352,681
343,180
 
 343,180
 352,681
 
 352,681
Long-term 
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
Corporate debt securities55,874
 
 55,874
 60,396
 
 60,396
43,363
 
 43,363
 60,396
 
 60,396
Federal agency debt securities17,137
 
 17,137
 5,775
 
 5,775
10,022
 
 10,022
 5,775
 
 5,775
Municipal debt securities9,658
 
 9,658
 9,405
 
 9,405
US Treasury Bonds2,990
 
 2,990
 2,994
 
 2,994
2,973
 
 2,973
 2,994
 
 2,994
Derivative instruments107
 
 107
 282
 
 282
21
 
 21
 282
 
 282
Municipal debt securities
 
 
 9,405
 
 9,405
Total long-term85,766
 
 85,766
 78,852
 
 78,852
56,379
 
 56,379
 78,852
 
 78,852
Total financial instruments$464,492
 $889
 $463,603
 $463,522
 $1,297
 $462,225
$414,951
 $115
 $414,836
 $463,522
 $1,297
 $462,225

The fair value of the Company’s publicly held long-term debt is determined based on inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets; therefore, the Company has categorized its publicly held debt as Level 2. The remainingRemaining debt agreements areis not publicly held. Theheld, and the Company has determined the estimated fair value of these notes to be Level 3, as certain inputs used to determine the fair value of these agreements are unobservable and, therefore, could be sensitive to changes in inputs. The Company utilizes the discounted cash flow method to estimate the fair value of Level 3 debt.

Carrying value and estimated fair value of long-term debt, including current maturities and without reduction for related costs (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018 As of December 31, 2017 As of June 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2017 
Carrying Value Estimated Fair Value Carrying Value Estimated Fair Value Hierarchy LevelCarrying Value Estimated Fair Value Carrying Value Estimated Fair Value Hierarchy Level
Publicly held debt$451,107
 $459,001
 $451,321
 $462,604
 2$450,893
 $453,147
 $451,321
 $462,604
 2
Non-publicly held debt616,974
 555,099
 719,681
 660,065
 3589,357
 526,887
 719,681
 660,065
 3
Total long-term debt$1,068,081
 $1,014,100
 $1,171,002
 $1,122,669
 $1,040,250
 $980,034
 $1,171,002
 $1,122,669
 

Due to the short-term nature, carrying amounts of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value.

Note 6 — Shareholders’ Equity

The Company is authorized by the Board of Directors to acquire up to $100.0 million of its stock through open market purchases under its share repurchase program. As repurchase authority is used, the Board of Directors has, to date, authorized additional expenditures for share repurchases.


For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company had no open market share repurchases. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, open market shareShare repurchases consisted of the following:

Three Months Ended March 31,Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 20172018 2017 2018 2017
Shares repurchased (not in thousands) (1)None
 15,440
None
 589,057
 None
 604,497
Average price per shareNA
 $161.92
NA
 $142.16
 NA
 $142.66
Total (in thousands)None
 $2,500
None
 $83,740
 None
 $86,240
(1) Share amounts shown above include only open market repurchases and do not include shares withheld from employees for tax withholding obligations related to restricted stock vestings.

During the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, the Company declared and paid recurring cash dividends of $0.70$1.40 per share, or $11.3$22.6 million.

Note 7 — Earnings per Share

Basic and diluted earnings per share are computed pursuant to the two-class method. Under this method, the Company attributes net income to two classes: common stock and unvested restricted stock. Unvested restricted stock awards granted to employees under the Company’s Long-Term Incentive Plan are considered participating securities as they receive non-forfeitable rights to cash dividends at the same rate as common stock.

Diluted net income per share is calculated using the more dilutive of the two methods. Under both methods, the exercise of employee stock options is assumed using the treasury stock method. The assumption of vesting of restricted stock, however, differs:

1.Assume vesting of restricted stock using the treasury stock method.

2.Assume unvested restricted stock awards are not vested, and allocate earnings to common shares and unvested restricted stock awards using the two-class method.

For the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, the second method, which assumes unvested awards are not vested, was used in the computation because it was more dilutive than the first method.


The following table sets forth the computation of net income per share, on a basic and diluted basis, for the periods indicated (share count and dollar amounts other than per-share amounts in table are in thousands):

Three Months Ended March 31,Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
2018 20172018 2017 2018 2017
Basic:          
Net income$55,193
 $42,351
$50,016
 $49,038
 $105,209
 $91,389
Less net income allocated to participating securities(768) (694)(659) (789) (1,427) (1,482)
Net income attributable to common stock$54,425
 $41,657
$49,357
 $48,249
 $103,782
 $89,907
Net income per share, basic$3.43
 $2.54
Earnings per share, basic$3.10
 $2.98
 $6.53
 $5.52
Weighted-average shares outstanding15,889
 16,382
15,939
 16,198
 15,898
 16,290
Diluted: 
  
 
  
  
  
Net income$55,193
 $42,351
$50,016
 $49,038
 $105,209
 $91,389
Less net income allocated to participating securities(768) (693)(658) (789) (1,425) (1,480)
Net income attributable to common stock$54,425
 $41,658
$49,358
 $48,249
 $103,784
 $89,909
Net income per share, diluted$3.42
 $2.54
Earnings per share, diluted$3.10
 $2.97
 $6.52
 $5.51
Weighted-average shares outstanding15,889
 16,382
15,939
 16,198
 15,898
 16,290
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock46
 91
44
 71
 63
 92
Adjusted weighted-average shares outstanding under treasury stock method15,935
 16,473
15,983
 16,269
 15,961
 16,382
Participating securities excluded under two-class method(37) (68)(38) (49) (47) (65)
Adjusted weighted-average shares outstanding under two-class method15,898
 16,405
15,945
 16,220
 15,914
 16,317

For the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, anti-dilutive shares excluded from the calculation of earnings per share were 1,4631,379 and 607 shares (not in thousands)., respectively.

Note 8 — Commitments and Contingencies

As of March 31,June 30, 2018, the Company had firm commitments to purchase the following aircraft:

Aircraft TypeNumber of Aircraft Under Contract
Airbus A3191
Airbus A32013

11 Airbus A320 aircraft. In addition, the Company has entered into lease agreements for an additional 13 Airbus A320 aircraft, three of which have been delivered and are in service, and one of which has been delivered but werewas not in service as of March 31,June 30, 2018. The remaining 10nine aircraft are expectedcurrently scheduled to be delivered byin the endsecond half of 2018.

2018 and first quarter of 2019.

Future minimum fixed payments for the Company's commitments related to the acquisition of aircraft (including aircraft lease obligations), airport fees under use and lease agreements, and other operating lease obligations are as follows as of March 31,June 30, 2018 (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2018As of June 30, 2018
Remaining in 2018$128,042
$79,148
2019124,842
123,164
202069,488
67,422
202128,582
26,288
202225,004
23,569
Thereafter164,987
150,598
Total commitments$540,945
$470,189


Contingencies

The Company is subject to certain legal and administrative actions it considers routine to its business activities. The Company believes the ultimate outcome of any pending legal or administrative matters will not have a material adverse impact on its financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

Note 9 — Related Party Transactions

During the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, the Company did not make anymade no payments to related parties.

Entities owned or controlled by the Company's Chairman and CEO have been paid for the building of corporate training content. This approach to training focuses on concept mastery, recognizing that individuals learn at varying paces, through different styles, and is designed to ensure the trainee fully understands each module before moving on to more advanced training. During the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2017, the Company made payments to these entities of $0.2 million. No further payments are expected.

Note 10 — Subsequent Events

In July 2018, the Company drew down $46.9 million under its senior secured revolving credit facility. The notes for the amounts borrowed under the facility bear interest at a floating rate based on LIBOR and are due on March 31, 2020.

Also in July 2018, the Company also borrowed $34.5 million under a loan agreement secured by one Airbus A320 series aircraft. The note bears interest at a floating rate based on LIBOR and will be payable in quarterly installments through July 2028. 

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis presents factors that had a material effect on our results of operations during the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 and 2017. Also discussed is our financial position as of March 31,June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. You should read this discussion in conjunction with our unaudited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and our consolidated financial statements appearing in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section below entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks and assumptions associated with these statements.

FIRSTSECOND QUARTER REVIEW

Highlights:

Added four10 Airbus A320 series aircraft into service and retired five MD-80 aircraft;
experienced year-over-year load factor improvements for each monthaircraft during the quarter, with an overall 2.9 percentage point increase in load factor forquarter. We are on track to retire the quarter;remaining MD-80 aircraft by the end of November 2018;
operating margin remained relatively flat year over year, with less thanrealized a one percentage point decline, despite a 20.410.4 percent increase in passenger revenue which offset higher fuel costs;
achieved a 5.0 percent decrease in CASM excluding fuel costs despite higher operational costs associated with the average fuel cost per gallon;
significant operational improvements, as we ranked among the the top three airlines for having the lowest cancellation rates in the industry for both Januaryfleet transition; and February 2018;
paid recurring cash dividends of $11.3 million during the quarter; and
operating 390 routes as of quarter-end versus 358 at the same point in 2017.quarter, $22.6 million year to date.


AIRCRAFT

The following table sets forth the aircraft in service and operated by us as of the dates indicated:

March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 March 31, 2017June 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 June 30, 2017
MD-8032
 37
 47
27
 37
 45
B757-200
 
 2

 
 2
A319 (1)26
 22
 19
31
 22
 20
A320 (2)30
 30
 17
35
 30
 21
Total88
 89
 85
93
 89
 88
(1) Does not include eightsix A319 aircraft on lease to a European carrier and two that have been returned from lease but were not yet in service as of March 31,June 30, 2018.
(2) Does not include eightseven A320 aircraft for which we have taken delivery but were not yet in service as of March 31,June 30, 2018.

As of March 31,June 30, 2018, we had firm commitments to purchase 1411 Airbus A320 series aircraft and had executed lease agreements for 10nine Airbus A320 series aircraft which have yet to be delivered. We expect delivery of 1610 of these committed aircraft in 2018 and the remaining aircraft in 2019 and 2020. We continually consider aircraft acquisitions on an opportunistic basis.

Fleet Plan

The below table indicates the number of aircraft expected to be in service as of the dates indicated, based on currently scheduled additions to, and retirements from, our operating fleet.

As of June 30, 2018 As of September 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2018As of September 30, 2018 As of December 31, 2018
MD-8027
 19
 
19
 
A31931
 31
 32
31
 32
A32041
 45
 50
44
 45
Total99
 95
 82
94
 77

NETWORK

OurAs of June 30, 2018, we were operating network413 routes verses 382 as of March 31, 2018the same date last year, which represents an 8.98.1 percent increase in the number of routes flown compared to March 31, 2017.increase. Our total numbernumbers of origination cities and leisure destinations were 9897 and 1921 as of March 31, 2018, comparedJune 30, 2018.

We also announced Knoxville, Tennessee as our 16th base, with 97 and 20 as of March 31, 2017. As of May 1, 2018, we were selling 419 routes.base operations planned to begin in November 2018.

TRENDS

In continuing withAs our fleet transition to an all-Airbus fleet,continues, we added four10 Airbus A320 series aircraft to our operating fleet during the firstsecond quarter of 2018. Airbus aircraft flew 72.476.8 percent of our scheduled service ASMs for the quarter, compared to 52.655.4 percent for the same time period in 2017.2017, which drove a 5.8 percent increase in fuel efficiency (measured as ASMs per gallon). We expect 2611 more Airbus A320 series aircraft to be placed in service by the end of 2018.

In conjunction with the fleet transition, we2018 and to have fully retired five MD-80 aircraft during the quarter and expect to retire the remaining 3219 MD-80 aircraft by the end of 2018.

Although the number of aircraft in our fleet will decline by the end of the year with the retirement of all of our MD-80 aircraft, we intend to continue to increase ourincreasing capacity and network as we havethrough higher utilization rates on our Airbus fleet than we have on our MD-80 aircraft. Additionally, our Airbus fleet has more available seats, on average, than our MD-80 fleet. However, our capacity growth through the end of the 2018 year will be lower than in prior years as a result of our fleet transition.

Unexpected delays in the scheduled delivery timing of used Airbus A320 series aircraft caused operational disruptions during the summer of 2018, as the lack of available aircraft resulted in the reschedule or cancellation of many scheduled service flights. We believe we have seen significant improvementsbeen conservative in adding aircraft to our schedule when anticipating future deliveries of aircraft, but delays on certain aircraft deliveries and inductions during second quarter 2018 were unusual and beyond our ability to effectively fully recover our published schedule. In anticipation of known aircraft delivery and induction delays, we removed three lines of flying in late June and July to shore up the integrity of our operations. According toThis will result in a reduced number of flights and reduced revenues during the most recent Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics, we ranked among the the top three airlines for having the lowest cancellation rates in the industry for both January and February 2018. We have company initiatives to engage every employee in the goal of improving operations. Additionally, we expect to gain operational efficiencies as we transition to an all Airbus fleet.

Our customer satisfactionperiods impacted, but our completion percentage has improved. Travel & Leisure Magazine recently announced we finished third in its 2017 American Customer Satisfaction Index of the American airline industry, ahead of all three legacy carriers. The magazine reported we had the highest jump in score from the prior year of all airlines in the report.

In April 2018, CBS aired a 60 Minutes segment critical of our safety and the FAA oversight of our operations. We believe the report was misleading, misrepresented our safety culture at that time and now, and mostly ignored the substantial improvement in the reliability of our operations since the events reported. In the wake ofOur customers' reaction to this segment, our rate of cancellations increasedstory appears to have been short-lived and bookings declined. Within a matter of a few weeks after the story aired, cancellations and bookings returned to more normal levels. Although we do not believe the impact of this story will have a material effect on our results of operations, it is not known whether there will be any lingering effect on our business.levels weeks later.

The continued roll out of our new revenue management system has had positive results. We have seen five consecutive months of year-over-year load factor improvements. Our overall scheduled service load factor for the first quarter 2018 was 85.1 percent compared to 82.2 percent for the first quarter 2017.
As of March 31, 2018, we were offering service on 142 medium-sized city routes compared to 101 as of the same date in 2017. We have 29 new routes expected to begin in the second quarter, including service into our newest cities - Nashville, Tennessee; Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida; and Charleston, South Carolina.

Planning and development for Sunseeker Resorts is ongoing. Construction is expected to begin in Junethe second half of 2018, with the opening of the resort planned for early 2020.

Our flight dispatchers have voted for union representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ("IBT") and negotiations began in February 2017, but we have yet2017. The dispatchers failed to reach an agreement.ratify a tentative agreement reached in May 2018 and negotiations continue. There are approximately 40 employees in this employeeoperating group. Any labor actions following an inability to reach a collective bargaining agreement with this employee group could impact our operations during the continuance of any such activity. Any labor agreement reached following negotiations would also likely increase our operating costs.


In March 2018, our maintenance technicians who represent approximately nine percent of our total employee base (approximately 340 employees), voted for union representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT).IBT. Negotiations for an agreement with this group willare expected to begin in the near future.

In July 2018, the IBT announced that our pilots were supportive of a strike as a result of delays in our implementation of a new preferential bidding system for pilot flight assignments. We do not believe we are in violation of the collective bargaining agreement with our pilots in this regard, nor do we believe the pilots have a legal right to strike because of this issue. As a result, we have filed suit against the IBT seeking to foreclose the possibility of a strike at this time.

Our flight attendant group approved their collective bargaining agreement effective in December 2017.

Any labor actions whether following an inability to reach a collective bargaining agreement with any employee group or otherwise could impact our operations during the continuance of any such activity. Any labor agreement reached following negotiations would also likely increase our operating costs.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Comparison of three months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 to three months ended March 31,June 30, 2017

Operating Revenue

Passenger revenue. Passenger revenue now includes both scheduled service revenue and air-related ancillary revenue, due to the implementation of the New Revenue Standard. For the firstsecond quarter 2018, passenger revenue increased 14.110.4 percent compared to 2017. The increase was driven primarily by a 15.210.1 percent increase in scheduled service passengers offset by a 1.0 percent decrease in scheduled service average fare. The increase in scheduled service passengers is due to a 9.5 percent increase in departures and a 2.91.0 percentage point increase in load factor.factor, which resulted in 12.7 percent more scheduled service passengers traveling. Additional passengers resulted in quarter-over-quarter increases in ancillary revenue products such as convenience, baggage and seat fees.

Third party products revenue. Third party product revenue for the firstsecond quarter 2018 decreased 19.0increased 24.4 percent overall compared to 2017, due mostlyprimarily to the allocation of certainan increase in net revenue components of our Allegiant World Mastercard® co-branded credit card, whereby $3.6 million of the revenue related to the travel component was reclassified into passenger revenue. This decrease was slightly offset by revenue onfrom rental cars, which increased 20.5 percent year over year.cars.

Fixed fee contract revenue. Fixed fee contract revenue for the firstsecond quarter 2018 decreased 6.230.6 percent from 2017. This was planned and expected due to less availability of aircraft for charter flying during our fleet transition.

Other revenue. Other revenue decreased $3.5 million for the second quarter 2018 from 2017 primarily as six aircraft which generated lease revenue from a European carrier during the second quarter 2017, had been delivered to us prior to the second quarter 2018.

Operating Expenses

We primarily evaluate our expense management by comparing our costs per passenger and per ASM across different periods, which enables us to assess trends in each expense category. The following table presents operating expense per passenger for the indicated periods. The table also presents operating expense per passenger, excluding fuel, a statistic which gives management and investors the ability to measure and monitor our cost performance absent fuel price volatility. Both the cost and availability of fuel are subject to many economic and political factors beyond our control.


Three Months Ended March 31, PercentThree Months Ended June 30, Percent
2018 2017 Change2018 2017 Change
Aircraft fuel$32.10
 $29.38
 9.3 %$33.06
 $25.83
 28.0 %
Salary and benefits34.20
 33.42
 2.3
27.44
 27.89
 (1.6)
Station operations11.38
 11.05
 3.0
11.22
 11.80
 (4.9)
Maintenance and repairs5.83
 10.45
 (44.2)6.64
 8.66
 (23.3)
Depreciation and amortization8.52
 10.60
 (19.6)8.05
 9.11
 (11.6)
Sales and marketing5.78
 4.63
 24.8
4.95
 4.08
 21.3
Aircraft lease rentals0.01
 0.06
 (83.3)0.02
 0.73
 (97.3)
Other6.78
 6.72
 0.9
6.49
 7.49
 (13.4)
Operating expense per passenger$104.60
 $106.31
 (1.6)%$97.87
 $95.59
 2.4 %
Operating expense per passenger, excluding fuel$72.50
 $76.93
 (5.8)%$64.81
 $69.76
 (7.1)%

The following table presents unit costs on a per ASM basis, or CASM, for the indicated periods. As on a per-passenger basis, excluding fuel on a per ASM basis provides management and investors the ability to measure and monitor our cost performance absent fuel price volatility.

Three Months Ended March 31, PercentThree Months Ended June 30, Percent
2018 2017 Change2018 2017 Change
Aircraft fuel
2.84¢ 
2.51¢ 13.1 %
3.12¢ 
2.38¢ 31.1 %
Salary and benefits3.03
 2.85
 6.3
2.59
 2.57
 0.8
Station operations1.01
 0.94
 7.4
1.06
 1.09
 (2.8)
Maintenance and repairs0.52
 0.89
 (41.6)0.63
 0.80
 (21.3)
Depreciation and amortization0.75
 0.90
 (16.7)0.76
 0.84
 (9.5)
Sales and marketing0.51
 0.40
 27.5
0.47
 0.38
 23.7
Aircraft lease rentals
 0.07
 (100.0)
Other0.61
 0.58
 5.2
0.61
 0.69
 (11.6)
CASM
9.27¢ 
9.07¢ 2.2 %
9.24¢ 
8.82¢ 4.8 %
Operating CASM, excluding fuel
6.43¢ 
6.56¢ (2.0)%
6.12¢ 
6.44¢ (5.0)%

Aircraft fuel expense. Aircraft fuel expense increased 25.2$37.1 million, or 43.4 percent, for the firstsecond quarter 2018 compared to 2017 as the system average fuel cost per gallon increased by 20.439.2 percent, coupled with a 3.83.3 percent increase in system fuel gallons consumed on a 10.49.4 percent increase in system ASMs. ASM growth outpaced fuel consumption as fuel efficiency (measured as ASMs per gallon) increased 6.45.8 percent year over year due to increased flying on our Airbus aircraft which are more fuel efficient.efficient than our MD-80 aircraft.

Salary and benefits expense. Salary and benefits expense increased $16.7$9.4 million, or 17.310.2 percent, for the firstsecond quarter 2018 when compared to the same period last year. The increase is largely attributable to a 6.85.8 percent increase in the number of full-time equivalent employees needed to support additional operating aircraft and the transition to a single fleet type.employees. Additionally, in conjunction with the collective bargaining agreement with our flight attendants that went into effect January 1, 2018. In conjunction with this agreement,in December 2017, flight attendant total salaries expense increased an average of 1425 percent year over year. There were also annual salary increases for our pilots, as dictated by their collective bargaining agreement.compared to 2017.

Station operations expense. Station operations expense for the firstsecond quarter 2018 increased 18.16.6 percent on a 9.510.1 percent increase in scheduled service departures compared to the same period in 2017. The increase in expense outpaced the increase in departures due to expired incentives and an increase in various supplementary station expenses.

Maintenance and repairs expense. Maintenance and repairs expense for the firstsecond quarter 2018 decreased $10.8$4.0 million, or 36.014.1 percent, compared to the same period in 2017. The year-over-year decrease is largely due to nine fewer heavy maintenance events performed on our MD-80 series aircraft, whichas they are being systematically retired from our operating fleet. TheAdditionally, the cost of major maintenance events for our Airbus aircraft is deferred in accordance with the deferral method of accounting and the amortization of these expenses is included underin depreciation and amortization expense.

Depreciation and amortization expense. Depreciation and amortization expense for the firstsecond quarter 2018 decreased $2.4 million, or 7.9remained relatively flat, with a 1.0 percent decrease year over year. The decrease is largely due to the retirement of our MD-80 aircraft. As a result of the

impairment charge taken on our MD-80 fleetaircraft in the fourth quarter 2017 weas no longer have aircraft depreciation expense associated withfor this fleet type.remains in the current quarter. Depreciation expense

related to the MD-80 aircraft and Boeing 757-200 aircraft (retired in late 2017) for the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2017 was $6.4 million.$4.9 million and $1.4 million, respectively.

ThisThe decrease in total depreciation and amortization expense was partially offset by higher incremental monthly depreciation expense associated with our Airbus aircraft, as we continue to add Airbus aircraft into service. Depreciation expense related to the ownership of the Airbus A320 series aircraftfor this fleet was $18.2$19.8 million for the firstsecond quarter 2018 compared to $12.8$13.7 million for the same period in 2017. Amortization of major maintenance costs under the deferral method of accounting for the Airbus aircraft was $2.5$2.6 million for the firstsecond quarter 2018 compared to $1.3$1.6 million for the firstsecond quarter 2017.

Sales and marketing expense. Sales and marketing expense for the firstsecond quarter 2018 increased $5.7$4.9 million compared to the same period in 2017, mostlypartly due to an increase in net credit card fees paid.paid as a result of the 10.4 percent increase in passenger revenue year over year. There were also year-over-year increased expenses related to various marketing initiatives, including our national ad campaign, for our growing network.

Aircraft lease rentals expense. Aircraft lease rentals expense for the second quarter 2018 decreased $2.3 million compared to 2017 due to fewer sub-service flights in the current quarter. We do not currently have aircraft under operating leases.

Income Tax Expense

Our effective tax rate was 20.520.7 percent for the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, compared to 37.037.8 percent for the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2017. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 differed from the statutory federal income tax rate of 21.0 percent primarily due to the tax benefit from dissolution of foreign subsidiaries, offset by state taxes. While we expect our tax rate to be fairly consistent in the near term, it will vary depending on recurring items such as the amount of income we earn in each state and the state tax rate applicable to such income. Discrete items during interim periods may also affect our tax rates.




Comparison of six months ended June 30, 2018 to six months ended June 30, 2017
Operating Revenue

Passenger revenue. Passenger revenue now includes both scheduled service revenue and air-related ancillary revenue, due to the implementation of the New Revenue Standard. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, passenger revenue increased 12.2 percent compared with 2017. The increase was mostly attributable to a 9.8 percent increase in scheduled service departures and a 1.9 percentage point increase in load factor, which resulted in 13.9 percent more scheduled service passengers traveling. Additional passengers resulted in year-to-date increases in ancillary revenue products such as convenience, baggage and seat fees.
Third party products revenue. Third party products revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased 4.0 percent over the same period in 2017 primarily due to an increase in net revenue from rental cars. This was offset by revenue reclassifications related to our Allegiant World Mastercard® co-brand credit card, whereby $3.6 million of the revenue related to the travel component was reclassified into passenger revenue.

Fixed fee contract revenue. Fixed fee contract revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2018 decreased 18.3 percent compared with 2017. This was planned and expected due to less availability of aircraft for charter flying during our fleet transition.

Other revenue. Other revenue decreased $3.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to 2017 primarily as six aircraft which generated lease revenue from a European carrier during the six months ended June 30, 2017 were delivered to us during the six months ended June 30, 2018. The effects of this decrease were slightly offset by increases in revenue from our golf course management solution.

Operating Expenses
The following table presents operating expense per passenger for the indicated periods:
 Six Months Ended June 30, Percent
 2018 2017 Change
Aircraft fuel$32.61
 $27.48
 18.7 %
Salary and benefits30.63
 30.47
 0.5
Station operations11.29
 11.45
 (1.4)
Maintenance and repairs6.26
 9.49
 (34.0)
Depreciation and amortization8.27
 9.81
 (15.7)
Sales and marketing5.34
 4.33
 23.3
Aircraft lease rentals0.01
 0.41
 (97.6)
Other6.63
 7.13
 (7.0)
Operating expense per passenger$101.04
 $100.57
 0.5 %
Operating expense per passenger, excluding fuel$68.43
 $73.09
 (6.4)%



The following table presents unit costs on a per ASM basis, defined as Operating CASM, for the indicated periods:
 Six Months Ended June 30, Percent
 2018 2017 Change
Aircraft fuel
2.99¢ 
2.44¢ 22.5 %
Salary and benefits2.81
 2.71
 3.7
Station operations1.03
 1.02
 1.0
Maintenance and repairs0.57
 0.84
 (32.1)
Depreciation and amortization0.76
 0.87
 (12.6)
Sales and marketing0.49
 0.39
 25.6
Aircraft lease rentals
 0.04
 (100.0)
Other0.60
 0.63
 (4.8)
CASM
9.25¢ 
8.94¢ 3.5 %
Operating CASM, excluding fuel
6.26¢ 
6.50¢ (3.7)%

Aircraft fuel expense. Aircraft fuel expense increased $58.4 million, or 34.4 percent, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 as the system average fuel cost per gallon increased by 29.5 percent, coupled with a 3.6 percent increase in system fuel gallons consumed on a 9.9 percent increase in system ASMs. ASM growth outpaced fuel consumption as fuel efficiency (measured as ASMs per gallon) increased 6.1 percent year over year, due to increased flying on our Airbus aircraft which are more fuel efficient than our MD-80 aircraft.
Salary and benefits expense. Salary and benefits expense increased $26.1 million, or 13.8 percent, for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. The increase is largely attributable to a 5.8 percent increase in the number of full-time equivalent employees. Additionally, in conjunction with the collective bargaining agreement with our flight attendants that went into effect in December 2017, flight attendant total salaries expense increased an average of 21 percent year over year.
Station operations expense. Station operations expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased 11.7 percent on a 9.8 percent increase in scheduled service departures compared to the same period in 2017. The increase in expense outpaced the increase in departures due primarily to certain station incentives which expired during the first quarter of 2018.

Maintenance and repairs expense. Maintenance and repairs expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 decreased $14.9 million, or 25.3 percent, compared with the same period in 2017. The year-over-year decrease is largely due to fewer heavy maintenance events performed on our MD-80 series aircraft, as they are being systematically retired from our operating fleet. Additionally, the cost of major maintenance events for our Airbus aircraft is deferred in accordance with the deferral method of accounting and the amortization of these expenses is included under depreciation and amortization expense.
Depreciation and amortization expense. Depreciation and amortization expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 decreased by 4.4 percent compared to the same period in 2017, partially due to the impairment charge taken on our MD-80 aircraft in the fourth quarter 2017 as no depreciation expense for this fleet remains in the current year. Depreciation expense related to the MD-80 aircraft and Boeing 757-200 aircraft (retired in late-2017) for the six months ended June 30, 2017 was $11.3 million and $2.9 million, respectively.
The decrease in depreciation and amortization expense was partially offset by higher monthly depreciation expense associated with our Airbus aircraft, as we continue to add Airbus aircraft into service. Depreciation expense for this fleet was $38.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $26.5 million for the same period in 2017. Amortization of major maintenance costs under the deferral method of accounting for the Airbus aircraft was $5.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 compared to $2.9 million for 2017.

Sales and marketing expense. Sales and marketing expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased $10.6 million compared to the same period in 2017, partly due to an increase in net credit card fees paid as a result of a 12.2 percent increase in passenger revenue year over year. There were also increased expenses related to various marketing initiatives, including our national ad campaign, for our growing network.
Aircraft lease rentals expense. Aircraft lease rentals expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 decreased $2.5 million compared to the same period in 2017 due to fewer sub-service flights in the current year. We do not currently have aircraft under operating leases.

Other expense. Other operating expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 increased $2.3 million compared to 2017. The increase is primarily due to information technology expenses, as well as other administrative expenses incurred to support our airline operations and golf course management business.
Income Tax Expense

Our effective tax rate was 20.6 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2018, compared to 37.3 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2017. The effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2018 differed from the statutory federal income tax rate of 21.0 percent primarily due to the tax benefit from dissolution of foreign subsidiaries, offset by state taxes. While we expect our tax rate to be fairly consistent in the near term, it will vary depending on recurring items such as the amount of income we earn in each state and the state tax rate applicable to such income. Discrete items during interim periods may also affect our tax rates.


Comparative Consolidated Operating Statistics

The following tables set forth our operating statistics for the periods indicated:

Three Months Ended March 31, PercentThree Months Ended June 30, Percent
2018 2017 Change (1)2018 2017 Change (1)
Operating statistics (unaudited):          
Total system statistics:          
Passengers3,302,951
 2,881,248
 14.6
3,704,113
 3,306,193
 12.0
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (thousands)3,094,805
 2,708,498
 14.3
3,276,599
 2,958,808
 10.7
Available seat miles (ASMs) (thousands)3,728,563
 3,376,837
 10.4
3,922,294
 3,584,209
 9.4
Load factor83.0% 80.2% 2.8
83.5% 82.6% 0.9
Operating expense per ASM (CASM) (cents)9.27
 9.07
 2.2
9.24
 8.82
 4.8
Fuel expense per ASM (cents)2.84
 2.51
 13.1
3.12
 2.38
 31.1
Operating CASM, excluding fuel (cents)6.43
 6.56
 (2.0)6.12
 6.44
 (5.0)
ASMs per gallon of fuel76.7
 72.1
 6.4
76.1
 71.9
 5.8
Departures24,248
 22,295
 8.8
27,063
 24,721
 9.5
Block hours57,803
 53,193
 8.7
60,707
 56,056
 8.3
Average stage length (miles)910
 903
 0.8
858
 866
 (0.9)
Average number of operating aircraft during period90.7
 84.7
 7.1
92.0
 85.3
 7.9
Average block hours per aircraft per day7.1
 7.0
 1.4
7.3
 7.2
 1.4
Full-time equivalent employees at end of period3,776
 3,536
 6.8
3,840
 3,628
 5.8
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)48,640
 46,850
 3.8
51,516
 49,858
 3.3
Average fuel cost per gallon$2.18
 $1.81
 20.4
$2.38
 $1.71
 39.2
Scheduled service statistics:          
Passengers3,279,368
 2,845,480
 15.2
3,681,944
 3,266,789
 12.7
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (thousands)3,064,619
 2,661,934
 15.1
3,245,774
 2,903,257
 11.8
Available seat miles (ASMs) (thousands)3,602,015
 3,237,164
 11.3
3,795,815
 3,436,872
 10.4
Load factor85.1% 82.2% 2.9
85.5% 84.5% 1.0
Departures23,264
 21,248
 9.5
25,992
 23,609
 10.1
Block hours55,689
 50,876
 9.5
58,536
 53,632
 9.1
Total passenger revenue per ASM (TRASM) (cents) (2)11.30
 11.14
 1.4
11.15
 11.10
 0.5
Average fare - scheduled service (3)$73.81
 $75.42
 (2.1)$64.62
 $67.76
 (4.6)
Average fare - air-related charges (3)$47.18
 $46.82
 0.8
$45.53
 $44.66
 1.9
Average fare - third party products$3.15
 $4.48
 (29.7)$4.84
 $4.38
 10.5
Average fare - total$124.14
 $126.72
 (2.0)$114.99
 $116.80
 (1.5)
Average stage length (miles)916
 908
 0.9
864
 869
 (0.6)
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)46,872
 44,892
 4.4
49,671
 47,821
 3.9
Average fuel cost per gallon$2.17
 $1.80
 20.6
$2.37
 $1.70
 39.4
Rental car days sold398,587
 375,711
 6.1
404,355
 391,010
 3.4
Hotel room nights sold108,984
 105,328
 3.5
93,484
 107,910
 (13.4)
Percent of sales through website during period93.8% 95.1% (1.3)93.9% 95.1% (1.2)
(1) Except load factor and percent of sales through website during period, which are presented as a percentage point change.
(2) Various components of this measure do not have a direct correlation to ASMs. This measure is provided on a per ASM basis so as to facilitate comparison with airlines reporting revenues on a per ASM basis.
(3) Reflects division of passenger revenue between scheduled service and air-related charges in the Company's booking path.


 Six Months Ended June 30, Percent
 2018 2017 Change (1)
Operating statistics (unaudited):     
Total system statistics:     
Passengers7,007,064
 6,187,441
 13.2
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (thousands)6,371,403
 5,667,306
 12.4
Available seat miles (ASMs) (thousands)7,650,857
 6,961,046
 9.9
Load factor83.3% 81.4% 1.9
Operating expense per ASM (CASM) (cents)9.25
 8.94
 3.5
Fuel expense per ASM (cents)2.99
 2.44
 22.5
Operating CASM, excluding fuel (cents)6.26
 6.50
 (3.7)
ASMs per gallon of fuel76.4
 72.0
 6.1
Departures51,311
 47,016
 9.1
Block hours118,510
 109,249
 8.5
Average stage length (miles)883
 883
 
Average number of operating aircraft during period90.8
 85.0
 6.8
Average block hours per aircraft per day7.2
 7.1
 1.4
Full-time equivalent employees at end of period3,840
 3,628
 5.8
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)100,156
 96,708
 3.6
Average fuel cost per gallon$2.28
 $1.76
 29.5
Scheduled service statistics:     
Passengers6,961,312
 6,112,269
 13.9
Revenue passenger miles (RPMs) (thousands)6,310,393
 5,565,191
 13.4
Available seat miles (ASMs) (thousands)7,397,830
 6,674,035
 10.8
Load factor85.3% 83.4% 1.9
Departures49,256
 44,857
 9.8
Block hours114,224
 104,507
 9.3
Total passenger revenue per ASM (TRASM) (cents) (2)11.23
 11.12
 1.0
Average fare - scheduled service (3)$68.95
 $71.33
 (3.3)
Average fare - air-related charges (3)$46.31
 $45.67
 1.4
Average fare - third party products$4.04
 $4.42
 (8.6)
Average fare - total$119.30
 $121.42
 (1.7)
Average stage length (miles)889
 887
 0.2
Fuel gallons consumed (thousands)96,542
 92,713
 4.1
Average fuel cost per gallon$2.27
 $1.75
 29.7
Rental car days sold802,942
 766,721
 4.7
Hotel room nights sold202,468
 213,238
 (5.1)
Percent of sales through website during period93.9% 94.2% (0.3)
(1) Except load factor and percent of sales through website during period, which are presented as a percentage point change.
(2) Various components of this measure do not have a direct correlation to ASMs. This measure is provided on a per ASM basis so as to facilitate comparison with airlines reporting revenues on a per ASM basis.
(3) Reflects division of passenger revenue between scheduled service and air-related charges in the Company's booking path.


LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Current liquidity

Cash, restricted cash and investment securities (short-term and long-term) decreased from $501.9 million at December 31, 2017 to $490.1$441.8 million at March 31,June 30, 2018. Restricted cash represents escrowed funds under fixed fee contracts and cash collateral against letters of credit required by hotel properties for guaranteed room availability, airports and certain other parties. Under our fixed fee flying contracts, we require our customers to prepay for flights to be provided by us. The prepayments are escrowed until the flight is completed and are recorded as restricted cash with a corresponding amount as air traffic liability. Investment securities represent highly liquid marketable securities which are available-for-sale.

During the first threesix months of 2018, our primary source of funds was $172.9$283.2 million generated by operations. Our operating cash flows and previous borrowings have allowed us to invest in our fleet transition and return capital to shareholders. Our future capital needs are primarily for the acquisition of additional aircraft, including our existing Airbus A320 series aircraft commitments, as well as potentialplanned capital outlay related to Sunseeker Resorts as well asand other travel and leisure initiatives. Of the 2611 aircraft expected to be placed into service during the remainder of 2018, 13three are structured as capital leases and will not require separate financing, and 10 haveone has already been paid for (representing the(the aircraft already returned or being returned from lease to a European carrier).

We believe we have more than adequate liquidity resources through our operating cash flows, borrowings, and cash balances, to meet our future contractual obligations. In addition, we continue to consider raising funds through debt financing on an opportunistic basis.

In addition to our recurring quarterly cash dividend, we plan to continue repurchasing our stock in the open market subject to availability of cash resources and compliance with our debt covenants. Our current share repurchase authority is $100 million. There is no expiration to this program.

Debt

Our long-term debt and capital lease obligations balance, without reduction for related issuance costs, decreased from $1,171.0 million$1.2 billion as of December 31, 2017 to $1,068.1 million$1.1 billion as of March 31,June 30, 2018 as we paid off our senior secured revolving credit facility and continued making scheduled repayments on our existing debt.debt, including the prepayment of certain debt secured by Airbus A320 series aircraft. During the firstsecond quarter of 2018, we did not enter into any new debt agreements.borrowed $10.8 million secured by various ground equipment.

Sources and Uses of Cash

Operating Activities. During the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, our operating activities provided $172.9$283.2 million of cash compared to $146.6$262.9 million during the same period of 2017. The year-over-year increase in cash inflows is the result of a $12.8$13.8 million increase in net income, as well as changes in various asset and liability accounts, including a $24.8$46.9 million year-over-year increasedecrease in accrued liabilities.accounts receivable. This was offset by adjustments made for non-cash items such as deferred income taxes ($26.9 million lower in 2018).

Operating cash inflows are primarily derived from providing air transportation and related ancillary products and services to customers, and we expect to use that cash flow to purchase aircraft and equipment, make scheduled debt payments, invest in Sunseeker and other travel and leisure initiatives, and return capital to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. 

Investing Activities. Cash used in investing activities was $65.4$158.6 million during the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 compared to $125.4$269.5 million for the same period in 2017. The year-over-year decrease is mostly due to investment security activity, as cash proceeds from maturities of investment securities (net of purchases) were $3.3$30.4 million in the first three monthshalf of 2018 compared to cash used to purchase investment securities (net of proceeds) of $67.2$88.6 million for the same period in 2017. Cash used to purchase property and equipment (including pre-delivery deposits) was $69.2$187.5 million for the first threesix months of 2018 compared to $58.5$182.3 million in the same period of 2017.

Financing Activities. Cash used in financing activities for the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 was $115.1$153.1 million compared to $21.5$38.3 million for the same period in 2017. The year-over-year increase is primarily due to an increase in principal payments on long-term debt and capital lease obligations, as we paid $102.9$142.4 million in debt and capital lease payments in the first quarterhalf of 2018 compared to $26.4$64.9 million for the same period in 2017. Our debt payments in the first quarterhalf of 2018 included various scheduled balloon payments, as well as the payoff of our senior secured revolving credit facility, which had $41.6 million in outstanding principal as of December 31, 2017. Additionally, we did not receive any funds from issuance of new debtreceived $10.8 million in loan proceeds during the firstsecond quarter 2018, whereas we received $22.0compared to $134.5 million in loan proceeds during the same period in 2017. For the threesix months ended June 30,

months ended March 31, 2018, we repurchased $2.2 million of common stock and paid cash dividends of $11.3$22.6 million, compared to the repurchase of $4.9 million in common stock and payment of cash dividends of $11.7$23.2 million and $86.2 million in open market common stock repurchases for the same period in 2017.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

We have made forward-looking statements in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and in the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions, and on information currently available to our management. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, business strategies, fleet plan, financing plans, competitive position, industry environment, potential growth opportunities, future service to be provided, the effects of future regulation and competition, and the development of a resort in Southwest Florida. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project” or similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements may be found in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. These risk factors include, without limitation, an accident involving or problems with our aircraft, public perception of our safety, our reliance on automation systems, limitation on growth as we transition to a single fleet type, our reliance on third parties to deliver aircraft under contract to us on a timely basis, risk of breach of security of personal data, volatility of fuel costs, labor issues and costs, the ability to obtain regulatory approvals as needed, the effect of economic conditions on leisure travel, debt covenants and balances, the ability to finance aircraft under contract, terrorist attacks, risks inherent to airlines, the competitive environment, our reliance on third parties who provide facilities or services to us, the possible loss of key personnel, economic and other conditions in markets in which we operate, the ability to successfully develop a resort in Southwest Florida, governmental regulation, increases in maintenance costs and cyclical and seasonal fluctuations to our operating results. 

Any forward-looking statements are based on information available to us today and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of future events, new information or otherwise.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

InExcept as discussed below relating to the firstNew Revenue Standard, in the second quarter of 2018, there were no changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those disclosed in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes contained in our 2017 Form 10-K, except as discussed below relating to the New Revenue Standard.10-K.

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted the New Revenue Standard using the full retrospective method, which resulted in the recast of the 2017 prior period data presented. Under this ASU and subsequently issued amendments, revenue is recognized at the time a good or service is transferred to a customer for the amount of consideration received.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

We are subject to certain market risks, including commodity prices (specifically aircraft fuel). The adverse effects of changes in these markets could pose potential losses as discussed below. The sensitivity analysis provided does not consider the effects that such adverse changes may have on overall economic activity, nor does it consider additional actions we may take to mitigate our exposure to such changes. Actual results may differ.

Aircraft Fuel

Our results of operations can be significantly impacted by changes in the price and availability of aircraft fuel, as aircraft fuel expense represented 30.732.3 percent of our operating expenses for the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018. Increases in fuel prices, or a shortage of supply, could have a material impact on our operations and operating results. Based on our fuel consumption for the three and six months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, a hypothetical ten percent increase in the average price per gallon of fuel would have increased fuel expense by approximately $10.7 million.$12.0 million and $22.9 million, respectively. We have not hedged fuel price risk for many years.


Interest Rates

We have market risk associated with changing interest rates due to the short-term nature of our cash and investment securities and variable-rate debt. We invest available cash in government and corporate debt securities, investment grade commercial

paper, and other highly rated financial instruments. Because of the short-term nature of these investments, the returns earned closely parallel short-term floating interest rates. A hypothetical 100 basis point change in interest rates for the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018 would have impacted interest income from cash and investment securities by approximately $1.2$2.3 million.

As of March 31,June 30, 2018, we had a total of $601.4$563.1 million in variable-rate debt, including current maturities and without reduction for related costs. A hypothetical 100 basis point change in market interest rates for the threesix months ended March 31,June 30, 2018, would have affected interest expense by approximately $1.6$3.2 million.

As of March 31,June 30, 2018, we had $466.7$477.1 million of fixed-rate debt, including current maturities and without reduction for related costs, which had a fair value of $474.0 million.costs. A hypothetical 100 basis point change in market interest rates would not impact interest expense or have a material effect on the fair value of our fixed-ratefixed rate debt instruments as of such date.

See Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, for further information about market risk.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

As of March 31,June 30, 2018, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our chief executive officer (“CEO”("CEO") and chief financial officer (“CFO”), we evaluated the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the “Exchange Act.”Act”) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on thisthat evaluation, management, including our managementCEO and CFO, has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are designed, and are effective, to give reasonable assurance that the information we are required to disclose is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Based upon this evaluation, management concluded that our disclosure controlsforms and procedures are effective in providing reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the CEO and the CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ending March 31,June 30, 2018, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted Accounting Standards Codification 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers”.Customers.” Although the new revenue standardNew Revenue Standard is not expected to have a material impact on our ongoing net income, changes were made to relevant business processes and the related control activities, including information systems, in order to monitor and maintain appropriate controls over financial reporting. The operating effectiveness of these changes will be evaluated as part of our annual assessment ofon the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting.

 PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

We are subject to certain legal and administrative actions we consider routine to our business activities. We believe the ultimate outcome of any pending legal or administrative matters will not have a material adverse impact on our financial position, liquidity or results of operations.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors

We have evaluated our risk factors and determined there are no changes to the risk factors set forth in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K.


Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Our Repurchases of Equity Securities

The following table reflects the repurchases of our common stock during the firstsecond quarter 2018:

Period Total Number of Shares Purchased (1) Average Price Paid per Share Total Number of
Shares Purchased as Part of our Publicly
Announced Plan
 Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that
May Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs (in thousands) (2)
January 177
 $161.45
 None  
February 9,741
 167.96
 None  
March 3,269
 174.30
 None  
Total 13,187
 $169.45
   $100,000
Period Total Number of Shares Purchased (1) Average Price Paid per Share Total Number of
Shares Purchased as Part of our Publicly
Announced Plan
 Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that
May Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans or
Programs (in thousands) (2)
April 452
 $148.70
 None  
May 4,349
 159.60
 None  
June 
 
 None  
Total 4,801
 $
   $100,000
(1) Includes shares repurchased from employees who vested a portion of their restricted stock grants. These share repurchases were made at the election of each employee pursuant to an offer to repurchase by us. In each case, the shares repurchased constituted the portion of vested shares necessary to satisfy income tax withholding requirements.
(1)Includes shares repurchased from employees who vested a portion of their restricted stock grants. These share repurchases were made at the election of each employee pursuant to an offer to repurchase by us. In each case, the shares repurchased constituted the portion of vested shares necessary to satisfy income tax withholding requirements.
(2)(2) Represents the remaining dollar amount of open market purchases of our common stock which has been authorized by the Board under a share repurchase program.

Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities

None

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable

Item 5. Other Information

None


Item 6. Exhibits
101.INSXBRL Instance Document
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

(1) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit filed with Registration Statement #333-134145 filed by the Company with the Commission and amendments thereto.
(1)Incorporated by reference to Exhibit filed with Registration Statement #333-134145 filed by the Company with the Commission and amendments thereto.
(2)(2) Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on April 25, 2018.



SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

  ALLEGIANT TRAVEL COMPANY
   
   
Date:May 8,August 3, 2018By:/s/ Scott Sheldon
  Scott Sheldon, as duly authorized officer of the Company (Chief Financial Officer) and as Principal Financial Officer

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