Employee Benefit Plans - Schedule of Assumption Used to Determine Benefit Obligations (Detail)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, expected return on plan assets	8.00%
Pension Benefits [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, discount rate	3.80%	4.30%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, discount rate	4.30%	4.70%	4.30%
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]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, discount rate	3.60%	4.10%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, discount rate	4.10%	4.42%	4.00%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	4.19%	4.25%	5.21%
Weighted average health care cost trend rate assumed for 2024 and thereafter	3.76%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| Pension Benefits [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, discount rate	3.80%	4.30%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, discount rate	4.30%	4.70%	4.30%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, discount rate	3.60%	4.10%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, discount rate	4.10%	4.42%	4.00%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, expected return on plan assets	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost, health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	4.19%	4.25%	5.21%
Weighted average health care cost trend rate assumed for 2024 and thereafter	3.76%

Weighted average rate for present value of future retirement benefits cash flows, used to determine benefit obligation of defined benefit plan.

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=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average rate for present value of future retirement benefits cash flows, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average rate of return on plan assets, reflecting average rate of earnings expected on existing plan assets and expected contributions, used to determine net periodic benefit cost of defined benefit 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)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Assumed rate, for next fiscal year, based on annual change in cost of health care cost benefits used to measure expected cost of benefits covered by defined benefit postretirement plan. Factors include, but are not limited to, estimate of health care inflation, change in health care utilization or delivery pattern, technological advances, and change in health status of participant. Excludes factors for change in composition of plan population by age and dependency status.

+ 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 (l)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanHealthCareCostTrendRateAssumedNextFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Ultimate trend rate for health care cost for defined benefit postretirement 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 (l)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82843861&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanUltimateHealthCareCostTrendRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConsolidatedEntitiesAxis=us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: