Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 5.25% Senior Notes due March 2019 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member] Scenario, Forecast [Member]	Apr. 16, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member] Subsequent Event [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 5.25% Senior Notes due March 15, 2019 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 5.25% Senior Notes due March 15, 2019 [Member]	Mar. 05, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 18, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 05, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 05, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] 5.25% Senior Notes due March 15, 2019 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] LIBOR [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior Notes, amount issued	$ 500,000,000			$ 500,000,000											$ 500,000,000
Interest rate on Senior Notes	5.25%			5.25%	8.625%		8.625%	5.25%						8.625%	5.25%
5.25% Senior Notes payable periods				2019-03
Proceed from issuance of Senior notes	500,000,000			494,000,000
Amount used for senior notes retirement	26,132,000				292,600,000
Total long-term debt	500,000,000		379,000,000		300,000,000			500,000,000				79,000,000
Cost of debt repayment					329,400,000
Senior notes redemption date					Mar. 17, 2014		Apr. 16, 2014
Amount of senior notes redeemed							7,400,000
Senior notes, Redemption Price, Percentage							108.30%
Pretax charge related to early redemption of senior notes					29,200,000	600,000
Tender premium					26,100,000
Unamortized financing costs					3,100,000
Tax benefit related to redemption					11,000,000
Newly issued 5.25% Senior Notes payable periods								Mar. 15, 2019
Debt instrument interest rate term								Interest is payable semi-annually on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning September 15, 2014.
Percentage of principal amount redeemed								101.00%
Debt instrument restrictive covenants								The indenture governing the 2019 Notes (the “2019 Indenture”) contains, among other things, certain restrictive covenants, including limitations on incurring indebtedness, creating liens, selling assets and entering into certain transactions with affiliates. The covenants also limit PHI’s ability to, among other things, pay cash dividends on common stock, repurchase or redeem common or preferred equity, prepay subordinated debt and make certain investments.
Increased Borrowing capacity													150,000,000
LIBOR plus interest rate on borrowed funds																225.00%
Revolving credit facility, maturity date											Sep. 01, 2015
Revolving credit facility description										(a) to grant consent from the lender to the tender offer for the 8.625% Senior Notes, (b) to grant consent from the lender for the offering and issuance of the above-referenced $500 million of 5.25% Senior Notes due 2019, (c) to permit us to sell and leaseback certain heavy aircraft, and (d) to change the funded debt to consolidated net worth ratio to be net funded debt to consolidated net worth.	(a) increase our borrowing capacity to $150 million, (b) reduce the interest rate on borrowed funds to LIBOR plus 225 basis points, or prime rate, at our option, (c) remove the prior borrowing base limitation, and (d) extend the maturity date to September 1, 2015.
Senior Notes, Year of Maturity															2019
Amended rate on senior notes										1.5
Letters of credit outstanding under the facility											14,700,000	14,700,000
Cash interest paid	$ 11,280,000	$ 733,000			$ 10,700,000