Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 5.25% Senior Notes due March 2019 [Member]	Apr. 16, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 8.625% Senior Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 5.25% Senior Notes due March 15, 2019 [Member]	Sep. 26, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 05, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 18, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 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%			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			26,749,000						292,600,000
Total long-term debt	581,604,000		581,604,000		379,000,000				300,000,000		500,000,000			81,604,000	79,000,000
Cost of debt repayment									329,400,000
Senior notes redemption date							Apr. 16, 2014		Mar. 17, 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								600,000	29,200,000
Tender premium									26,100,000
Unamortized financing costs									3,100,000
Tax benefit related to redemption									11,600,000	11,600,000
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.
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity												25,000,000				150,000,000
LIBOR plus interest rate on borrowed funds																	225.00%
Revolving credit facility, maturity date												Oct. 01, 2016		Sep. 01, 2015
Revolving credit facility description													(a) receive consent from the lender to complete the above-described March 2014 refinancing transactions, (b) permit us to sell and leaseback certain heavy aircraft, and (c) change the funded debt to consolidated net worth ratio to be net funded debt to consolidated net worth and (d) permit the incurrence of certain specified types of indebtedness and liens.	(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.
Amended rate on senior notes													1.5
Letters of credit outstanding under the facility														15,500,000	14,700,000
Periodic payment of debt interest	13,100,000	800,000	24,900,000	15,100,000
Accrued interest expense paid			$ 24,896,000	$ 15,112,000						$ 11,000,000