Employee Benefit Plans - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Pension Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$ 2	$ 2	$ 3
Interest cost	749	737	746
Expected return on assets	(750)	(851)	(786)
Settlements		1	4
Prior service cost (benefit)	28	28	28
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	126	112	43
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	155	29	38
Defined contribution plan cost	766	662	546
Total cost (income)	921	691	584
Pension Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	2	1	2
Interest cost	746	733	742
Expected return on assets	(747)	(848)	(783)
Settlements		1	4
Prior service cost (benefit)	28	28	28
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	125	111	43
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	154	26	36
Defined contribution plan cost	761	657	527
Total cost (income)	915	683	563
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	3	3	1
Interest cost	47	50	61
Expected return on assets	(20)	(19)	(19)
Prior service cost (benefit)	(240)	(243)	(244)
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(17)	(9)	(8)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(227)	(218)	(209)
Total cost (income)	(227)	(218)	(209)
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	3	3	1
Interest cost	47	50	61
Expected return on assets	(20)	(19)	(19)
Prior service cost (benefit)	(240)	(243)	(244)
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(16)	(9)	(8)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(226)	(218)	(209)
Total cost (income)	$ (226)	$ (218)	$ (209)