Commitments, Contingencies And Guarantees (Aircraft Acquisition Commitments) (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2012, Purchase	24
2013, Purchase	23
2013, Lease	36
2014, Purchase	7
2014, Lease	50
2015, Purchase	2
2015, Lease	50
2016, Purchase	2
2016, Lease	45
2017 and beyond, Purchase	130
2017 and beyond, Lease	40
Total, Purchase	188
Total, Lease	221
Number of aircraft purchase commitments	9
Boeing 737 Family [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2012, Purchase	22	[1]
2013, Purchase	15	[1]
2013, Lease	16	[1]
2014, Purchase	5	[1]
2014, Lease	15	[1]
2015, Lease	20	[1]
2016, Lease	20	[1]
2017 and beyond, Lease	20	[1]
Total, Purchase	42	[1]
Total, Lease	91	[1]
Boeing 777-200ER [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2014, Purchase	2
2015, Purchase	2
2016, Purchase	2
Total, Purchase	6
Total, Lease	0
Boeing 777-300ER Aircraft [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2012, Purchase	2
2013, Purchase	8
Total, Purchase	10
Total, Lease	0
Airbus A320 Family [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2013, Lease	20
2014, Lease	35
2015, Lease	30
2016, Lease	25
2017 and beyond, Lease	20
Total, Purchase	0
Total, Lease	130
Airbus NEO [Member]
Property Subject to or Available for Operating Lease [Line Items]
2017 and beyond, Purchase	130
Total, Purchase	130
Total, Lease	0

[1] As of March 31, 2012, American had elected to purchase nine Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft using the sale-leaseback financing arranged directly by American with a third party leasing company. These aircraft are therefore reflected as purchases in the above table.