Basis of Presentation and Recent Accounting Pronouncements - New Accounting Standards (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Restricted cash	$ 103	$ 93
Operating revenues:
Passenger	9,480	8,997
Cargo	227	191
Other	694	632
Total operating revenues	10,401	9,820
Total operating expenses	9,970	9,083
Operating income	431	737
Total nonoperating expense, net	(158)	(202)
Income before income taxes	273	535
Income tax provision	87	195
Net income	$ 186	$ 340
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.39	$ 0.67
Deferred tax asset	$ 1,581			$ 1,816
Air traffic liability	5,549			4,042
Current loyalty program liability	3,176			3,121
Noncurrent loyalty program liability	5,610			5,701
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	(1,018)			(780)
Previously Reported [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		$ 8,155
Cargo		172
Other		1,297
Total operating revenues		9,624
Total operating expenses		9,023
Operating income		601
Total nonoperating expense, net		(236)
Income before income taxes		365
Income tax provision		131
Net income		$ 234
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.46
Deferred tax asset				427
Air traffic liability				3,978
Current loyalty program liability				2,791
Noncurrent loyalty program liability				0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)				3,926
Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Operating revenues:
Deferred tax asset				1,389
Air traffic liability				64
Current loyalty program liability				330
Noncurrent loyalty program liability				5,701
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)				(4,706)
Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Deferred Revenue Method [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		$ 170
Total operating revenues		170
Operating income		170
Income before income taxes		170
Income tax provision		64
Net income		106
Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Reclassifications [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		672
Cargo		19
Other		(665)
Total operating revenues		26
Total operating expenses		26
Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2017-07 [Member]
Operating revenues:
Total operating expenses		34
Operating income		(34)
Total nonoperating expense, net		34
Retained Earnings [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of new accounting principle in period of adoption			$ 77
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Restricted cash	103	93
Operating revenues:
Passenger	9,480	8,997
Cargo	227	191
Other	691	629
Total operating revenues	10,398	9,817
Total operating expenses	9,951	9,077
Operating income	447	740
Total nonoperating expense, net	(98)	(159)
Income before income taxes	349	581
Income tax provision	113	212
Net income	236	369
Deferred tax asset	1,757			2,071
Air traffic liability	5,549			4,042
Current loyalty program liability	3,176			3,121
Noncurrent loyalty program liability	5,610			5,701
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)	$ 10,207			9,888
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Previously Reported [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		8,155
Cargo		172
Other		1,294
Total operating revenues		9,621
Total operating expenses		9,017
Operating income		604
Total nonoperating expense, net		(193)
Income before income taxes		411
Income tax provision		148
Net income		263
Deferred tax asset				682
Air traffic liability				3,978
Current loyalty program liability				2,791
Noncurrent loyalty program liability				0
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)				14,594
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member]
Operating revenues:
Deferred tax asset				1,389
Air traffic liability				64
Current loyalty program liability				330
Noncurrent loyalty program liability				5,701
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)				$ (4,706)
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Deferred Revenue Method [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		170
Total operating revenues		170
Operating income		170
Income before income taxes		170
Income tax provision		64
Net income		106
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Reclassifications [Member]
Operating revenues:
Passenger		672
Cargo		19
Other		(665)
Total operating revenues		26
Total operating expenses		26
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Restatement Adjustment [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2017-07 [Member]
Operating revenues:
Total operating expenses		34
Operating income		(34)
Total nonoperating expense, net		$ 34
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Retained Earnings [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 2016-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of new accounting principle in period of adoption			$ 77