Investments - Narrative (Details)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	May 31, 2020 USD ($) aircraft	Jan. 31, 2020 USD ($) joint_venture_party aircraft $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) aircraft	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Short-term investments			$ 4,302,000,000			$ 4,302,000,000		$ 0
Acquisition of strategic investments						2,099,000,000	$ 89,000,000
Restructuring charges			2,454,000,000		$ 0	2,454,000,000	0
Impairments and equity method losses			2,058,000,000		17,000,000	2,318,000,000	71,000,000
Net gain (loss) on Investments			8,000,000		$ (82,000,000)	(104,000,000)	$ 18,000,000
Number of parties in joint venture | joint_venture_party		3
Receivables from investees
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Reserve against outstanding receivables from Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, LATAM, Grupo Aeromexico, and others			98,000,000			$ 98,000,000
LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)		20.00%		20.00%
Acquisition of strategic investments		$ 1,900,000,000
Per share price in tender offer (USD per share) | $ / shares		$ 16
Total consideration for investment				$ 2,300,000,000
Carrying value of equity investment				1,100,000,000
Impairments and equity method losses			1,100,000,000
Grupo Aeromexico
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)	51.00%
Impairments and equity method losses			$ 770,000,000
Voting interest limit per bylaws (percent)	49.00%
Virgin Atlantic
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)			49.00%			49.00%		49.00%
Carrying value of equity investment			$ 0			$ 0		$ 375,000,000
Impairments and equity method losses						200,000,000
Alliance-related
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangibles			1,863,000,000			1,863,000,000		$ 1,005,000,000
Alliance-related | LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Consideration allocated to indefinite-lived intangible asset				1,200,000,000
Indefinite-lived intangibles			1,200,000,000			1,200,000,000
LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Planned transition payments to support establishment of strategic alliance		$ 350,000,000
Payments to support establishment of strategic alliance						200,000,000
Estimated future disbursements for establishment of strategic alliance			150,000,000			$ 150,000,000
Restructuring charges	$ 62,000,000		$ 62,000,000
LATAM | A350
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Number of aircraft agreed to acquire | aircraft		4
Number of aircraft assumed | aircraft						10
Number of aircraft in terminated purchase agreement | aircraft	4
Wheels Up
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Gain on transaction to combine subsidiary with Wheels Up				$ 240,000,000
LATAM
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)		20.00%
Grupo Aeromexico
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)			51.00%			51.00%
Wheels Up
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Ownership interest (percent)		27.00%	25.00%			25.00%		0.00%
Term loan facility | Financial guarantee
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Guarantee borrowings on third party debt						$ 300,000,000
Guarantee borrowings on third party debt, term (in years)						5 years
Percentage of guarantee secured by ownership interest			60.00%			60.00%