Fair Value Measurements (Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified							3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended																																																											3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014 Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 4.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 6.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 6.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 10.6 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 12.0 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Weighted Average [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 1 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 2 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Level 3 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Carrying Value [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Carrying Value [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Fair Value [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 Fair Value [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 AA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member] Maturity Dates Exceeding One Year [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] 4.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] 6.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] 6.3 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] 10.6 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] 12.0 Bolivars per Dollar [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Weighted Average [Member] Venezuelan bolívar fuerte [Member] Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 1 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 2 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Level 3 [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Carrying Value [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 AA [Member] Carrying Value [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member] Money Market Funds [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member] Government agency investments [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member] Repurchase Agreements [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member] Corporate Obligations [Member]		Sep. 30, 2014 AA [Member] Fair Value [Member] Bank Notes/Certificates of Deposit/Time Deposits [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities																$ 518	[1],[2]	$ 518	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 6,203	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 101	[1],[2]	$ 230	[1],[2]	$ 4,254	[1],[2]	$ 1,618	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]	$ 0	[1],[2]			$ 6,721	[1],[2]		$ 518	[1],[2]	$ 101	[1],[2]	$ 230	[1],[2]	$ 4,254	[1],[2]	$ 1,618	[1],[2]															$ 471	[1],[3]	$ 471	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 3,328	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 100	[1],[3]	$ 130	[1],[3]	$ 2,335	[1],[3]	$ 763	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]	$ 0	[1],[3]			$ 3,799	[1],[3]		$ 471	[1],[3]	$ 100	[1],[3]	$ 130	[1],[3]	$ 2,335	[1],[3]	$ 763	[1],[3]
Restricted cash and short-term investments	875	1,035														875	[1]											0	[1]											0	[1]													875	[1]												652	702													652	[1]											0	[1]											0	[1]													652	[1]
Fair value of assets and liabilities measured on recurring basis																1,393												6,203												0														7,596																											1,123												3,328												0														4,451
Short-term investments, mature in more than one year			1,100	[1],[2]	775	[1],[2]																																																															790	400	[1],[2]
Unrestricted cash balance held in Venezuelan bolivars								721	791	94		580		47																																																											721	791	94		580		47
Foreign earnings repatriated							48				31		17																																																											48				31		17
Foreign currency translation exchange rate										4.3	6.3	6.3	10.6	12.0	6.41																																																												4.3	6.3	6.3	10.6	12.0	6.41
Decrease due to translation and repatriation of earnings								70																																																																	70
Long-term debt, including current maturities																																																				$ 17,090	$ 16,799	$ 17,787		$ 17,035																																																													$ 10,211	$ 10,809	$ 10,639		$ 11,045

[1] Unrealized gains or losses on short-term investments and restricted cash and short-term investments are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss at each measurement date.

[2] The Company's short-term investments mature in one year or less except for $1.1 billion of corporate obligations and $775 million of bank notes.

[3] American's short-term investments mature in one year or less except for $790 million of corporate obligations and $400 million of bank notes.