Retirement Benefits - Schedule of Fair Value of Pension Plan Assets by Asset Category (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan master trust future funding commitments	$ 428	$ 403
United Kingdom [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	16.00%	18.00%
Japan [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	12.00%	11.00%
France [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	10.00%	10.00%
Switzerland [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	7.00%	7.00%
Netherlands [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	7.00%	7.00%
Republic of Korea [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	6.00%	6.00%
Emerging Markets [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	11.00%	13.00%
No Concentration Greater than 5% In Any One Country [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	31.00%	28.00%
Minimum [Member] | Private Equity Partnerships [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Estimated year of liquidation of underlying assets	1 year	1 year
Maximum [Member] | Private Equity Partnerships [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Estimated year of liquidation of underlying assets	10 years	10 years
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan master trust future funding commitments	$ 428	$ 403
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | United Kingdom [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	16.00%	18.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Japan [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	12.00%	11.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | France [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	10.00%	10.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Switzerland [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	7.00%	7.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Netherlands [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	7.00%	7.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Republic of Korea [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	6.00%	6.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Emerging Markets [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	11.00%	13.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | No Concentration Greater than 5% In Any One Country [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	31.00%	28.00%
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Minimum [Member] | Private Equity Partnerships [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Estimated year of liquidation of underlying assets	1 year	1 year
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Private Equity Partnerships [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Estimated year of liquidation of underlying assets	10 years	10 years
U.S. Companies [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	40.00%	46.00%
U.S. Companies [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	82.00%	81.00%
U.S. Companies [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	82.00%	81.00%
US Treasuries and Corporate Bonds [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	35.00%	35.00%
International Companies [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	25.00%	18.00%
International Companies [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	16.00%	16.00%
International Companies [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	16.00%	16.00%
Corporate Debt with A Standard and Poor's (S&P) Rating Lower than A [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	74.00%	74.00%
Corporate Debt with A Standard and Poor's (S&P) Rating Lower than A [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	74.00%	74.00%
Corporate Debt with Standard and Poor's (S&P) Rating A or Higher [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	26.00%	26.00%
Corporate Debt with Standard and Poor's (S&P) Rating A or Higher [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | International Markets [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	26.00%	26.00%
Emerging Market Government Securities [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	25.00%	27.00%
Emerging Market Government Securities [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	25.00%
U.S. Buyout Opportunities [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	89.00%	91.00%
U.S. Buyout Opportunities [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	89.00%	91.00%
European Buyout Opportunities [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	11.00%	9.00%
European Buyout Opportunities [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	11.00%	9.00%
Emerging Market 103-12 Investment Trust [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	73.00%	74.00%
Emerging Market 103-12 Investment Trust [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	73.00%	74.00%
Canadian Segregated Balanced Value [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	14.00%	14.00%
Canadian Segregated Balanced Value [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	14.00%	14.00%
Common/Collective Trust [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	13.00%	12.00%
Common/Collective Trust [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	13.00%	12.00%
Domestic Government Securities [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	75.00%	73.00%
Domestic Government Securities [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	75.00%
Emerging Market Companies [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	2.00%	3.00%
Emerging Market Companies [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Corporate Bonds [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations	2.00%	3.00%