Long Term Debt (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured Debt	$ 11,839		$ 12,490
Unsecured Debt	794		1,307
Long-term Debt, Gross	12,633		13,797
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium), Net	(527)		(737)
Long-term Debt	12,106		13,060
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	(1,507)		(1,827)
Long-term Debt, Excluding Current Maturities	10,599		11,233
Pacific Term Loan B1 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Oct. 31, 2018
Secured Debt	1,100	[1]	0	[1]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.25%	[2]
Pacific Term Loan B2 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Apr. 30, 2016
Secured Debt	400	[1]	0	[1]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.25%	[2]
2012 Pacific Revolving Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Oct. 31, 2017
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0		0
Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Apr. 30, 2017
Secured Debt	1,354	[1]	1,368	[1]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	5.50%	[2]
Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Apr. 30, 2016
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0		0
Pacific Routes Term Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Mar. 31, 2016
Secured Debt	0		248
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.25%	[2]
Pacific Routes Revolving Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Mar. 31, 2013
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0		0
Senior Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Sep. 30, 2014
Secured Debt	0		600
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	9.50%
Senior Second Lien Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Mar. 31, 2015
Secured Debt	0		306
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	12.25%
Certificates [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured Debt	4,314	[1],[3]	4,677	[1],[3]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start	Jan. 01, 2013
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End	Dec. 31, 2023
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum	1.06%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum	9.75%
Aircraft Financings [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured Debt	3,964	[1],[3]	4,570	[1],[3]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start	Jan. 01, 2013
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End	Dec. 31, 2025
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum	0.81%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum	6.76%
Other Secured Financings [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Secured Debt	707	[1],[4]	721	[1],[4]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start	Jan. 01, 2013
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End	Dec. 31, 2031
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum	2.44%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum	6.12%
Bank Revolving Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date	Sep. 30, 2015
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0		0
American Express Advance Purchase of SkyMiles [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Unsecured Debt	619	[5]	952	[5]
Other Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start	Jan. 01, 2013
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End	Dec. 31, 2035
Unsecured Debt	$ 175	[1]	$ 355	[1]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum	3.00%
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Maximum	9.00%

[1] (2) Due in installments

[2] (1) Interest rate equal to LIBOR (subject to a floor) or another index rate, in each case plus a specified margin.

[3] (3) Secured by aircraft.

[4] (4) Primarily includes loans secured by spare parts, spare engines and aircraft and real estate.

[5] (5) For additional information about our debt associated with American Express, see Note 7.