Retirement Benefits - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Pension Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$ 1	$ 1
Interest cost	188	184
Expected return on assets	(187)	(213)
Amortization of Prior service cost (benefit)	7	7
Amortization of Unrecognized net loss (gain)	31	28
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	40	7
Pension Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	0
Interest cost	187	184
Expected return on assets	(187)	(212)
Amortization of Prior service cost (benefit)	7	7
Amortization of Unrecognized net loss (gain)	31	28
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	38	7
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	1	1
Interest cost	12	13
Expected return on assets	(5)	(5)
Amortization of Prior service cost (benefit)	(60)	(61)
Amortization of Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(4)	(2)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(56)	(54)
Amortization of prior service costs not included in net periodic benefit cost (income)	1	1
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	1	1
Interest cost	12	13
Expected return on assets	(5)	(5)
Amortization of Prior service cost (benefit)	(60)	(61)
Amortization of Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(4)	(2)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(56)	(54)
Amortization of prior service costs not included in net periodic benefit cost (income)	$ 1	$ 1