Employee Benefit Plans - Schedule of Assumption Used to Determine Benefit Obligations (Detail)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Pension Benefits [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	4.30%	4.70%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Discount rate	4.70%	4.30%	5.10%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Pension Benefits [Member] \| American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	4.30%	4.70%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Discount rate	4.70%	4.30%	5.10%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	4.10%	4.42%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Discount rate	4.42%	4.00%	4.74%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Net periodic benefit cost, Weighted average health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	4.25%	5.21%	5.25%
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member] \| American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	4.10%	4.42%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Discount rate	4.42%	4.00%	4.74%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, Expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Net periodic benefit cost, Weighted average health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	4.25%	5.21%	5.25%

Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]

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- Definition

The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money for the plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

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- Definition

The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

An assumption as to the rate of return on plan assets reflecting the average rate of earnings expected on the funds invested or to be invested to provide for the benefits included in the benefit obligation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Expected Long-Term Rate of Return on Plan Assets
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6512046

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (k)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

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- Definition

The assumed health care cost trend rate for the next year used to measure the expected cost of benefits covered by the plan (gross eligible charges). This is based upon the annual rate of change in the cost of health care benefits currently provided by the postretirement benefit plan, due to factors other than changes in the composition of the plan population by age and dependency status.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Health Care Cost Trend Rate
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6514820

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (l)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

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