Debt - Components of Long-Term Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 25,301	$ 24,573
Less: Total unamortized debt discount, premium and issuance costs	236	229
Current maturities of long-term debt and capital leases	2,554	1,855
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities	22,511	22,489
Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	23,551	22,823
Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,825	1,843
Interest rate	3.55%
Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 728	735
Interest rate	3.43%
Secured Debt [Member] | April 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 990	1,000
Interest rate	3.57%
Secured Debt [Member] | December 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,238	1,250
Interest rate	3.48%
Secured Debt [Member] | Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETC) [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 11,881	10,912
Average interest rate	4.30%
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	$ 5,259	5,343
Average interest rate	3.29%
Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	2.34%
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	$ 857	891
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	$ 773	849
Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.81%
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] | Senior Notes 6.125% Due in 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 500	500
Interest rate	6.125%
Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Notes 5.50% Due in 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 750	750
Interest rate	5.50%
Unsecured Debt [Member] | Senior Notes 4.625% Due in 2020 [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]
Less: Total unamortized debt discount, premium and issuance costs	$ 227	216
Current maturities of long-term debt and capital leases	2,058	1,859
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current maturities	21,236	20,718
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	23,521	22,793
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,825	1,843
Interest rate	3.55%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Credit Facility 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 728	735
Interest rate	3.43%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | April 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 990	1,000
Interest rate	3.57%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | December 2016 Credit Facilities [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt and capital lease obligations	$ 1,238	1,250
Interest rate	3.48%
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	$ 11,881	10,912
Average interest rate	4.30%
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	$ 5,259	5,343
Average interest rate	3.29%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Equipment Loans and Other Notes Payable [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	2.34%
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	$ 828	862
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	$ 772	$ 848
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	3.81%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Secured Debt [Member] | Other Secured Obligations [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	12.24%