Employee Benefit Plans - Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Pension Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$ 1	$ 1
Interest cost	180	188
Expected return on assets	(197)	(187)
Prior service cost (benefit)	7	7
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	36	31
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	27	40
Pension Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Interest cost	180	187
Expected return on assets	(196)	(187)
Prior service cost (benefit)	7	7
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	36	31
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	27	38
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	1	1
Interest cost	10	12
Expected return on assets	(5)	(5)
Prior service cost (benefit)	(59)	(60)
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(6)	(4)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	(59)	(56)
Retiree Medical And Other Postretirement Benefits [Member] | American Airlines, Inc. [Member]
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	1	1
Interest cost	10	12
Expected return on assets	(5)	(5)
Prior service cost (benefit)	(59)	(60)
Unrecognized net loss (gain)	(6)	(4)
Net periodic benefit cost (income)	$ (59)	$ (56)