Indebtedness and Leases (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended												6 Months Ended
	Mar. 12, 2013 tranche	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013 financing_transaction	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013 Boeing 737-800 Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Mar. 12, 2013 2013-1 EETC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 2013-1 EETC [Member] Boeing 737-823 Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 2013-1 EETC [Member] Boeing 777-223 E R Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 2013-1 EETC [Member] Boeing Seven Seven Seven Three Two Three E R [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 2013-1 EETC [Member] Boeing 777-323 E R Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Mar. 12, 2013 2013-1 C EETC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Refinancing EETC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Refinancing EETC [Member] Boeing 737-823 Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 Refinancing EETC [Member] Boeing 777-223 E R Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 Refinancing EETC [Member] Boeing 767-323 E R Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 Refinancing EETC [Member] Boeing 757-223 Aircraft [Member] aircraft	Jun. 30, 2013 7.50% Senior Secured Notes Due 2016 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 10.5% Senior Secured Notes Due 2012 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Secured Debt, Tax Exempt [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Secured Debt [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Unsecured Debt [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Liabilities Subject to Compromise [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Accrued liabilities and other liabilities and deferred credits [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Term Loan [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Jun. 27, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Operating leases, future minimum payments due, current		$ 578,000,000	$ 578,000,000
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in two years		1,100,000,000	1,100,000,000
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in three years		1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in four years		946,000,000	946,000,000
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due in five years		902,000,000	902,000,000
Operating leases, future minimum payments, due thereafter		5,700,000,000	5,700,000,000
Deferred rent credit																						95,000,000	302,000,000
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure, undiscounted																			1,500,000,000	5,100,000,000	842,000,000
Number of tanches in private offering (tranches)	2
2013-1 EETC Amount						664,000,000					120,000,000
2013-1 EETC Class A Interest Rate (percent)	4.00%
2013-1 EETC Class B Interest Rate (percent)		5.625%
Number of Aircraft to be Collateralized (aircraft)							8	1	3	1			41	19	1	14
2013-1 EETC Class C Interest Rate (percent)		6.125%	6.125%
Maximum borrowing capacity																								1,050,000,000		1,000,000,000
Amount outstanding																								1,050,000,000
Prepayment fee (percent)			1.00%
Floor on basis spread (percent)			1.00%
Basis spread on variable rate (percent)																								3.75%	3.50%
Minimum aggregate liquidity prior to merger			1,500,000,000
Minimum aggregate liquidity following the merger			2,000,000,000
TMAT Bonds		216,000,000	216,000,000
Amount of Refinancing EETC to be offered pursuant to Rule 144A												1,500,000,000
Make-whole payments with respect to existing financing		400,000,000	400,000,000
Number of aircraft included in sale-leaseback arrangement (aircraft)					33
Number of aircrafts delivered (aircraft)					9
Number of financing transactions (transactions)			3
Debt instrument interest rate (percent)																	7.50%	10.50%
Face amount of debt instrument																		450,000,000
Collateral already posted, aggregate fair value		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0														$ 41,000,000