Secured Debt, Number of Aircrafts Securing Debt Financing

No definition available.

Name:	alk_SecuredDebtNumberofAircraftsSecuringDebtFinancing
Namespace Prefix:	alk_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Option to Purchase Additional, Option Exercised

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	alk_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Quantity Deferred

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	alk_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationQuantityDeferred
Namespace Prefix:	alk_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash inflow from amounts received from issuance of long-term debt that is wholly or partially secured by collateral. Excludes proceeds from tax exempt secured debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3255-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Financing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Detail information of subsequent event by type. User is expected to use existing line items from elsewhere in the taxonomy as the primary line items for this disclosure, which is further associated with dimension and member elements pertaining to a subsequent event.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis=us-gaap_B737Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis=us-gaap_B737MaxMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AircraftTypeAxis=alk_Boeing737900ERMember
Namespace Prefix:
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SUBSEQUENT EVENT (Details) $ in Billions		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
SUBSEQUENT EVENT (Details) $ in Billions	Oct. 01, 2016	Nov. 01, 2016 USD ($) aircraft	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) aircraft	Sep. 30, 2016 aircraft	Oct. 11, 2016 aircraft
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Secured Debt, Number of Aircrafts Securing Debt Financing			53	53
Secured by aircraft [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt \| $			$ 1.5
Secured by aircraft [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Secured Debt \| $		$ 0.1
B-737 [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life				20 years
B-737 [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	25 years
B737 MAX [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Quantity Deferred					4
Boeing, 737-900ER [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Secured Debt, Number of Aircrafts Securing Debt Financing			34	34
Boeing, 737-900ER [Member] \| Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Secured Debt, Number of Aircrafts Securing Debt Financing		3
Options to Purchase Additional, Exercised(in Aircraft)					5