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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Employee
Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument principal amount $ 248,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount  
Floating Rate Debt    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument principal amount 2,500,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ual_FloatingRateDebtMember
 
Fixed Rate Debt    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument principal amount 159,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ual_FixedRateDebtMember
 
Loans And Leases From Non-U.S Entities    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument principal amount 2,700,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis
= ual_LoansAndLeasesFromNonUSEntitiesMember
 
Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure 1,800,000,000us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ual_TaxExemptBondsMember
 
Operating leases obligations 1,500,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ual_TaxExemptBondsMember
 
Capital leases obligations 290,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ual_TaxExemptBondsMember
 
Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds | Indirect Guarantee of Indebtedness    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure 1,400,000,000us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsMaximumExposure
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ual_TaxExemptBondsMember
/ us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_IndirectGuaranteeOfIndebtednessMember
 
Contingent liabilities based on participation 239,000,000us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= ual_TaxExemptBondsMember
/ us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis
= us-gaap_IndirectGuaranteeOfIndebtednessMember
 
Minimum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument maturity year 2015  
Minimum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds | Indirect Guarantee of Indebtedness    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument maturity year 2015  
Maximum    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument, remaining terms (years) 12 years  
Maximum | Loans And Leases From Non-U.S Entities    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument, remaining terms (years) 12 years  
Maximum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument maturity year 2038  
Maximum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds | Indirect Guarantee of Indebtedness    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument maturity year 2041  
United Airlines, Inc.    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Debt instrument principal amount $ 11,533,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
$ 11,604,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
Number of employees 84,000dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
 
Percentage of employees represented by various U.S. labor organizations 80.00%ual_PercentageOfEmployeesRepresentedByLaborOrganizations
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
 
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc.    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered 20ual_NumberOfAircraftUnderFinancingArrangementExpectedToBeDelivered
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalAdditionsMember
 
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Boeing 787-9 aircraft    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered 4ual_NumberOfAircraftUnderFinancingArrangementExpectedToBeDelivered
/ us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis
= ual_BoeingSevenEightySevenDashNineMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalAdditionsMember
 
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Embraer E175 Aircraft    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered 5ual_NumberOfAircraftUnderFinancingArrangementExpectedToBeDelivered
/ us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis
= us-gaap_EMBMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalAdditionsMember
 
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Boeing 737-900ER aircraft    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered 11ual_NumberOfAircraftUnderFinancingArrangementExpectedToBeDelivered
/ us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis
= us-gaap_B737900Member
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
/ us-gaap_LongTermPurchaseCommitmentByCategoryOfItemPurchasedAxis
= us-gaap_CapitalAdditionsMember
 
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Minimum    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
New aircraft, scheduled delivery date 2015  
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Maximum    
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]    
New aircraft, scheduled delivery date 2025