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Assumed Health Care Plan Pre-Age

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Defined Benefit Plan, Percent Change Assumed In Health Care Cost Trend Metric

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Percent Of Amount Above Annual PreTax Profit For Profit Sharing Payout

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Percent Of Amount Above Threshold For Profit Sharing Payout

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Percent Of Annual PreTax Profit For Profit Sharing Payout

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Percent Of Threshold Amount For Profit Sharing Payout

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Profit Sharing Threshold

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- Definition

Unfunded Liability, Defined Benefit Plan, Interest Rate

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- Definition

Weighted average rate of return on plan assets, reflecting average rate of earnings expected on existing plan assets and expected contributions, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan.

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- Definition

Amount of contribution received by defined benefit plan from employer which increases plan assets.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Amount of cost (credit) included in accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss expected to be recognized in net periodic benefit cost (credit) for fiscal year following most recent annual statement of financial position.

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Amount of contributions expected to be received by defined benefit plan from employer in next fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

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Percentage of target investment allocation to total plan assets. Includes, but is not limited to, percentage on weighted-average basis if more than one plan.

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Amount of cost for defined contribution plan.

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Amount of labor-related expenses classified as other.

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Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				27 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2019
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Discount rate for 17-year amortization period of unfunded liability for frozen defined benefit plan (percent)		8.85%
Estimated funding by employer in next fiscal year		$ 500,000,000				$ 500,000,000
Defined contribution plan costs		$ 991,000,000	$ 926,000,000	$ 875,000,000
Assumed healthcare plan pre age		65 years
Assumed healthcare plan post age		65 years
Amount of net actuarial loss that will be amortized from AOCI in next fiscal year		$ 333,000,000				$ 333,000,000
Weighted average expected long-term rate of return on plan assets (percent)		8.97%	8.97%	8.96%
Percent change assumed In healthcare cost trend metric		1.00%
Profit sharing		$ 1,643,000,000	$ 1,301,000,000	$ 1,065,000,000
Percent of threshold amount for profit sharing payout						10.00%
Profit sharing threshold		$ 2,500,000,000				$ 2,500,000,000
Percent of amount above threshold for profit sharing payout						20.00%
Common stock
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Employer contribution to certain defined pension plans				$ 350,000,000	$ 350,000,000
Delta Pilots
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Percent of threshold amount for profit sharing payout	10.00%
Profit sharing threshold	$ 2,500,000,000
Percent of amount above threshold for profit sharing payout	20.00%
Merit, Ground, Flight Attendant Employees
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Percent of annual pre-tax profit for profit sharing payout	10.00%
Percent of year-over-year increase in annual pre-tax profit for profit sharing payout	20.00%
Growth-seeking assets \| Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		30.00%				30.00%
Growth-seeking assets \| Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		50.00%				50.00%
Income-generating assets \| Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		25.00%				25.00%
Income-generating assets \| Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		35.00%				35.00%
Risk-diversifying assets \| Minimum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		30.00%				30.00%
Risk-diversifying assets \| Maximum
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure
Plan assets, target allocations (percent)		40.00%				40.00%