Cash Distributions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Cash Distribution [Line Items]
General partnership interest in Company (in hundredths)	1.00%
Cash Distribution [Member]
Cash Distribution [Line Items]
Declaration date	Apr. 30, 2014
General Partner distribution (in dollars per unit)	$ 0.44
Percentage of distribution (in hundredths)	1.00%
Distribution date	May 22, 2014
Date of record	May 12, 2014

Percentage of cash dividends for each percent of general partnership interest.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	ablp_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date of record for distribution of cash or unit to limited partner of limited partnership (LP), in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70434-108055

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date of declaration for distribution of cash or unit to limited partner of limited partnership (LP), in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DistributionMadeToLimitedPartnerDeclarationDate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Date of distribution for distribution of cash or unit to limited partner of limited partnership (LP), in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Per unit of ownership amount of cash distributions declared to unit-holder of a limited partnership (LP).

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DistributionMadeToLimitedPartnerLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage investment held by the managing member or general partner of the limited liability company (LLC) or limited partnership (LP).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 272

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6373374&loc=d3e70478-108055

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration