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Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Federal pre-tax NOL carry forwards $ 9,600,000,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards      
State tax benefits 111,000,000ual_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitResultingInNetOperatingLossCarryforward      
Federal statutory income tax rate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate      
Cumulative loss position at the end of 2014 3 years      
Current valuation allowances 4,751,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 4,591,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance    
Increase (decrease) in current valuation allowances 160,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount      
Unrecognized tax benefits 9,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 14,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 19,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 24,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate if recognized 7,000,000us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate      
United Airlines, Inc.        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Current valuation allowances 4,721,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
4,561,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
   
Increase (decrease) in current valuation allowances 160,000,000us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= ual_UnitedAirLinesIncMember
     
2024        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Net operating loss expiration amount 1,100,000,000ual_NetOperatingLossExpirationAmount
/ ual_PreTaxExpirationPeriodAxis
= ual_NetOperatingLossCarryForwardExpirationPeriodSecondYearMember
     
2025        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Net operating loss expiration amount 2,500,000,000ual_NetOperatingLossExpirationAmount
/ ual_PreTaxExpirationPeriodAxis
= ual_NetOperatingLossCarryForwardExpirationPeriodThirdYearMember
     
2026        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Net operating loss expiration amount 2,000,000,000ual_NetOperatingLossExpirationAmount
/ ual_PreTaxExpirationPeriodAxis
= ual_NetOperatingLossCarryForwardExpirationPeriodForthYearMember
     
Thereafter        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
Net operating loss expiration amount $ 4,000,000,000ual_NetOperatingLossExpirationAmount
/ ual_PreTaxExpirationPeriodAxis
= ual_NetOperatingLossCarryForwardExpirationPeriodThereafterMember
     
Minimum        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
State tax benefits of the NOL carry forwards expiration period, years 5 years      
Maximum        
Income Taxes [Line Items]        
State tax benefits of the NOL carry forwards expiration period, years 20 years