Debt - Components of Long-Term Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 24,573	$ 20,807
Less: Total unamortized debt discount, debt premium and debt issuance costs	229	246
Less: Current maturities	1,855	2,231
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities	22,489	18,330
Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	22,823	19,057
Secured Debt [Member] | 2013 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,843	1,867
Interest rate	3.26%
Secured Debt [Member] | 2014 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 735	743
Interest rate	3.25%
Secured Debt [Member] | April 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,000
Interest rate	3.26%
Secured Debt [Member] | December 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,250
Interest rate	3.25%
Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility, Tranche B-1, Citicorp 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		980
Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility, Tranche B-2, Citicorp 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		588
Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 10,912	8,693
Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.00%
Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	9.75%
Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 5,343	4,183
Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	1.81%
Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	8.48%
Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 891	1,080
Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.00%
Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	8.00%
Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 849	923
Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.60%
Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	12.24%
Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,750	1,750
Unsecured Debt [Member] | 5.50% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 750	750
Interest rate	5.50%
Unsecured Debt [Member] | 6.125% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 500	500
Interest rate	6.125%
Unsecured Debt [Member] | 4.625% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 500	500
Interest rate	4.625%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 22,793	19,054
Less: Total unamortized debt discount, debt premium and debt issuance costs	216	228
Less: Current maturities	1,859	2,234
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities	20,718	16,592
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	22,793	19,027
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | 2013 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,843	1,867
Interest rate	3.26%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | 2014 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 735	743
Interest rate	3.25%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | April 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,000
Interest rate	3.26%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | December 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,250
Interest rate	3.25%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility, Tranche B-1, Citicorp 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		980
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility, Tranche B-2, Citicorp 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		588
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 10,912	8,693
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	9.75%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 5,343	4,183
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	1.81%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	8.48%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 862	1,051
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Special Facility Revenue Bonds [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	5.50%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 848	922
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.60%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	12.24%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		27
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Unsecured Debt [Member] | Affiliate Unsecured Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations		$ 27