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Income taxes special items net.

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Operating Loss Carryforwards Outstanding without Annual Limitations on Use

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Operating Loss Carryforwards without Annual Limitations on Use

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Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017, Incomplete Accounting, Change In Tax Rate, Deferred Tax Asset, Provisional Income Tax Expense

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Valuation Allowance, Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017, Deferred Tax Asset, Increase (Decrease), Amount

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Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to increase (decrease) in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

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Amount of operating loss carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

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The amount of the tax credit carryforward, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws.

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Amount of increase (decrease) in the valuation allowance for a specified deferred tax asset.

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Income Taxes - Additional Disclosures (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance			$ (6)	$ 7	$ 7
Valuation allowance, Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017, deferred tax asset, increase				10
Income tax provision			$ 472	2,113	1,568
Income tax expense, effective rate			25.00%
Change in valuation allowance			$ (6)	(3)	7
Special income tax charge			18	823	0
Impact of Tax Act, charge to reduce deferred tax assets		$ 823	0	823	0
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards	$ 339		339
Federal [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Gross NOL carryforwards	10,200		10,200
Federal NOL carryforwards, maximum allowable utilization	9,000		9,000
Federal NOL carryforwards, remaining amount	8,400		8,400
State [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Gross NOL carryforwards	3,200		3,200
Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Special income tax charge			18
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Change in valuation allowance	(22)
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance			(6)	12	(1)
Valuation allowance, Tax Cuts And Jobs Act Of 2017, deferred tax asset, increase				8
Income tax provision			$ 534	2,270	1,607
Income tax expense, effective rate			24.00%
Change in valuation allowance	(22)		$ (6)	4	(1)
Special income tax charge			18	924	0
Impact of Tax Act, charge to reduce deferred tax assets		$ 924	0	$ 924	$ 0
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Carryforward [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards	452		452
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| Federal [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Gross NOL carryforwards	10,600		10,600
Federal NOL carryforwards, maximum allowable utilization	9,500		9,500
Federal NOL carryforwards, remaining amount	8,600		8,600
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| State [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Gross NOL carryforwards	$ 3,100		3,100
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] \| Foreign Tax Authority [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Special income tax charge			$ 18