Commitments, Contingencies And Guarantees (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Principal terms of new business, headcount reduced	10,000
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Purchase deposits for flight equipment	$ 764,000,000	$ 746,000,000
Maximum required to be paid by the company in one year under the guarantee	100,000,000
Maximum amount of guarantee provided	75,000,000
Boeing 787-9 Aircraft [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Number of aircrafts to be purchased under previously announced plans	42
Rights to acquire additional number of aircrafts	58
Purchase [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Payments for the purchase commitments in remainder of 2012	535,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2013	1,900,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2014	929,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2015	312,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2016	353,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2017 and beyond	7,400,000,000
Lease [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Payments for the purchase commitments in remainder of 2012	168,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2013	664,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2014	852,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2015	1,100,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2016	1,300,000,000
Payments for the purchase commitments in 2017 and beyond	$ 12,500,000,000

Long Term Purchase Commitment Additional Rights To Purchase Quantity Acquired

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- Definition

Maximum amount of JAL guarantee each year based on current capacity.

+ References

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- Definition

Maximum Amount Required To Be Paid By Company Under The JAL Guarantee in Each Year

+ References

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- Definition

Number Of Aircrafts To Be Purchased Under Previously Announced Plans

+ References

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- Definition

Principal term of new business plan, headcount reduction.

+ References

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- Definition

Carrying amount, at the balance sheet date, of deposits made to the manufacturer for new flight equipment still under construction. May include capitalized interest.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than four and within five years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 47

-Paragraph 7

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 440

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394976&loc=d3e25336-109308

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid within one year of the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than three and within four years from the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than one and within two years from the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in more than two and within three years from the balance sheet date.

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- Definition

The remaining amount of the fixed and determinable portion of an unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid after five years from the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

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