Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 09, 2013
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Unrecognized federal tax benefit					$ 867
Federal NOL carryforwards, maximum allowable utilization						$ 9,000
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards					341
Non-cash deferred income tax provision	$ 6	$ 8	$ 22	$ 22
State and international tax expense	10		20	8
Fuel Hedging Contracts [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Non-cash tax provision on sale of fuel hedging contracts				330
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					$ 4,600
NOL carryforwards expiration year, range start					2015
NOL carryforwards expiration year, range end					2034
Valuation allowance					$ 264
Federal [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL carryforwards expiration year					2022
American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Unrecognized federal tax benefit					$ 712
Federal NOL carryforwards, maximum allowable utilization						$ 9,500
Alternative minimum tax credit carryforwards					435
Non-cash deferred income tax provision	6	$ 7	20	21
State and international tax expense	$ 3		$ 8	3
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Fuel Hedging Contracts [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Non-cash tax provision on sale of fuel hedging contracts				$ 328
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | State and Local Jurisdiction [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					$ 3,900
NOL carryforwards expiration year, range start					2015
NOL carryforwards expiration year, range end					2034
Valuation allowance					$ 208
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | Available for use in 2015 [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					$ 4,600
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Federal [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL carryforwards expiration year					2022
American Airlines, Inc. [Member] | Federal [Member] | Available for use in 2015 [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					$ 10,100
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					10,100
Valuation allowance					4,500
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
NOL subject to expiration					10,300
Valuation allowance					$ 5,100