United Airlines 10-Q 23 Apr 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 13, 2015
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	UAL
Entity Registrant Name	United Continental Holdings, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	100517
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		382,001,450
United Airlines, Inc.
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	United Airlines, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	319687
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,000

Statements_of_Consolidated_Ope

Statements of Consolidated Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating revenue:
Passenger-Mainline	$5,938	$5,848
Passenger-Regional	1,482	1,536
Total passenger revenue	7,420	7,384
Cargo	242	209
Other operating revenue	946	1,103
Total revenue	8,608	8,696
Operating expense:
Salaries and related costs	2,301	2,153
Aircraft fuel	1,864	2,917
Regional capacity purchase	570	559
Landing fees and other rent	543	572
Depreciation and amortization	429	409
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs	397	458
Distribution expenses	312	318
Aircraft rent	201	224
Special charges (Note 10)	64	52
Other operating expenses	1,186	1,383
Total operating expenses	7,867	9,045
Operating income (loss)	741	-349
Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest expense	-173	-187
Interest capitalized	12	14
Interest income	5	5
Miscellaneous, net (Note 10)	-74	-89
Total other expense	-230	-257
Income (loss) before income taxes	511	-606
Income tax expense	3	3
Net income (loss)	508	-609
Earnings (loss) per share, basic	$1.33	($1.66)
Earnings (loss) per share, diluted	$1.32	($1.66)
United Airlines, Inc.
Operating revenue:
Passenger-Mainline	5,938	5,848
Passenger-Regional	1,482	1,536
Total passenger revenue	7,420	7,384
Cargo	242	209
Other operating revenue	946	1,103
Total revenue	8,608	8,696
Operating expense:
Salaries and related costs	2,301	2,153
Aircraft fuel	1,864	2,917
Regional capacity purchase	570	559
Landing fees and other rent	543	572
Depreciation and amortization	429	409
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs	397	458
Distribution expenses	312	318
Aircraft rent	201	224
Special charges (Note 10)	64	52
Other operating expenses	1,186	1,375
Total operating expenses	7,867	9,037
Operating income (loss)	741	-341
Nonoperating income (expense):
Interest expense	-173	-189
Interest capitalized	12	14
Interest income	5	5
Miscellaneous, net (Note 10)	-74	-66
Total other expense	-230	-236
Income (loss) before income taxes	511	-577
Income tax expense	2	3
Net income (loss)	$509	($580)

Statements_of_Consolidated_Com

Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Net income (loss)	$508		($609)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net change related to:
Fuel derivative financial instruments	86		-7
Employee benefit plans	2		-21
Investments and other	14
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	102	[1]	-28	[1]
Total comprehensive income (loss), net	610		-637
United Airlines, Inc.
Net income (loss)	509		-580
Other comprehensive income (loss), net change related to:
Fuel derivative financial instruments	86		-7
Employee benefit plans	2		-21
Investments and other	14		1
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	102		-27
Total comprehensive income (loss), net	$611		($607)
[1]	UAL and United amounts are substantially the same except for additional gains related to investments and other of $1 million at United in the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$3,352		$2,002
Short-term investments	2,256		2,382
Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts (2015-$23; 2014-$22)	1,471		1,146
Fuel hedge collateral deposits	398		577
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, less obsolescence allowance (2015-$178; 2014-$169)	631		666
Deferred income taxes	575		591
Prepaid expenses and other	826		774
Total current assets	9,509		8,138
Operating property and equipment: Owned-
Flight equipment	21,864		21,107
Other property and equipment	4,092		4,016
Operating property and equipment - owned, gross	25,956		25,123
Less-Accumulated depreciation and amortization	-7,399		-7,079
Operating property and equipment - owned, net	18,557		18,044
Purchase deposits for flight equipment	602		706
Capital leases-
Flight equipment	1,301		1,272
Other property and equipment	331		331
Operating property and equipment - capital leases, gross	1,632		1,603
Less-Accumulated amortization	-929		-886
Operating property and equipment - capital leases, net	703		717
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	19,862		19,467
Other assets:
Goodwill	4,523		4,523
Intangibles, less accumulated amortization (2015-$1,076; 2014-$1,049)	4,257		4,284
Restricted cash	271		276
Other, net	669		665
Other assets total	9,720		9,748
Total assets	39,091		37,353
Current liabilities:
Advance ticket sales	4,932		3,701
Frequent flyer deferred revenue	2,059		2,058
Accounts payable	2,074		1,882
Accrued salaries and benefits	1,597		1,818
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,700		1,313
Current maturities of capital leases	112		110
Fuel derivative instruments	648		694
Other	847		932
Total current liabilities	13,969		12,508
Long-term debt	9,914		10,121
Long-term obligations under capital leases	560		571
Other liabilities and deferred credits:
Frequent flyer deferred revenue	2,966		2,879
Postretirement benefit liability	1,933		1,933
Pension liability	2,082		2,226
Advanced purchase of miles	1,182		1,217
Deferred income taxes	1,577		1,591
Lease fair value adjustment, net	438		466
Other	1,462		1,445
Total Other liabilities and deferred credits	11,640		11,757
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholder's equity:
Preferred stock
Common stock	4		4
Additional capital invested	7,932		7,721
Accumulated deficit	-3,375		-3,883
Stock held in treasury, at cost	-576		-367
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-977	[1]	-1,079	[1]
Total stockholders' equity	3,008		2,396
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit)	39,091		37,353
United Airlines, Inc.
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,346		1,996
Short-term investments	2,256		2,382
Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts (2015-$23; 2014-$22)	1,471		1,146
Fuel hedge collateral deposits	398		577
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, less obsolescence allowance (2015-$178; 2014-$169)	631		666
Deferred income taxes	575		591
Prepaid expenses and other	874		823
Total current assets	9,551		8,181
Operating property and equipment: Owned-
Flight equipment	21,864		21,107
Other property and equipment	4,092		4,016
Operating property and equipment - owned, gross	25,956		25,123
Less-Accumulated depreciation and amortization	-7,399		-7,079
Operating property and equipment - owned, net	18,557		18,044
Purchase deposits for flight equipment	602		706
Capital leases-
Flight equipment	1,301		1,272
Other property and equipment	332		331
Operating property and equipment - capital leases, gross	1,633		1,603
Less-Accumulated amortization	-929		-886
Operating property and equipment - capital leases, net	704		717
Total property, plant, and equipment, net	19,863		19,467
Other assets:
Goodwill	4,523		4,523
Intangibles, less accumulated amortization (2015-$1,076; 2014-$1,049)	4,257		4,284
Restricted cash	271		276
Other, net	669		1,377
Other assets total	9,720		10,460
Total assets	39,134		38,108
Current liabilities:
Advance ticket sales	4,932		3,701
Frequent flyer deferred revenue	2,059		2,058
Accounts payable	2,079		1,886
Accrued salaries and benefits	1,597		1,818
Current maturities of long-term debt	1,700		1,313
Current maturities of capital leases	112		110
Fuel derivative instruments	648		694
Other	847		933
Total current liabilities	13,974		12,513
Long-term debt	9,914		10,120
Long-term obligations under capital leases	560		571
Other liabilities and deferred credits:
Frequent flyer deferred revenue	2,966		2,879
Postretirement benefit liability	1,933		1,933
Pension liability	2,082		2,226
Advanced purchase of miles	1,182		1,217
Deferred income taxes	1,577		1,591
Lease fair value adjustment, net	438		466
Other	1,462		1,957
Total Other liabilities and deferred credits	11,640		12,269
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholder's equity:
Common stock	0		0
Additional capital invested	7,156		7,347
Accumulated deficit	-3,119		-3,628
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-977		-1,079
Receivable from related parties	-14		-5
Total stockholders' equity	3,046		2,635
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit)	$39,134		$38,108
[1]	UAL and United amounts are substantially the same except for additional gains related to investments and other of $1 million at United in the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Receivables, allowance for doubtful accounts	$23	$22
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, obsolescence allowance	178	169
Intangibles, accumulated amortization	1,076	1,049
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common shares, authorized	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Common shares, outstanding	382,490,693	374,525,916
United Airlines, Inc.
Receivables, allowance for doubtful accounts	23	22
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, obsolescence allowance	178	169
Intangibles, accumulated amortization	$1,076	$1,049
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common shares, authorized	1,000	1,000
Common shares, issued	1,000	1,000
Common shares, outstanding	1,000	1,000

Condensed_Statements_of_Consol

Condensed Statements of Consolidated Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	$1,825	$694
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	-210	-364
Purchases of short-term and other investments	-197	-235
Proceeds from sale of short-term and other investments	326	124
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	17	35
Other, net	19	13
Net cash used in investing activities	-45	-427
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Payments of long-term debt	-296	-613
Repurchases of common stock	-195
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	100	147
Principal payments under capital leases	-24	-24
Other, net	-15	12
Net cash used in financing activities	-430	-478
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,350	-211
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	2,002	3,220
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	3,352	3,009
Investing and Financing Activities Not Affecting Cash:
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance of debt and capital leases	599	375
Conversion of convertible notes to UAL common stock	201	202
United Airlines, Inc.
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,816	686
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	-210	-364
Purchases of short-term and other investments	-197	-235
Proceeds from sale of short-term and other investments	326	124
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	17	35
Other, net	19	13
Net cash used in investing activities	-45	-427
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Payments of long-term debt	-296	-613
Dividend to UAL	-195
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	100	147
Principal payments under capital leases	-24	-24
Other, net	-6	20
Net cash used in financing activities	-421	-470
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,350	-211
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period	1,996	3,214
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	3,346	3,003
Investing and Financing Activities Not Affecting Cash:
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance of debt and capital leases	599	375
Transfer of UAL subsidiaries to United		186
Conversion of convertible notes to UAL common stock		$156

Significant_Accounting_Policie

Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Significant Accounting Policies	NOTE 1 - SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
	Recently Issued Accounting Standards. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) amended the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and created a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This amendment prescribes that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The amendment supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. On April 1, 2015, the FASB proposed deferring the effective date of the amendment by one year to December 15, 2017 for annual reporting periods beginning after that date. The FASB also proposed permitting early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. The Company is evaluating the impact on its financial statements.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This standard amends existing guidance to require the presentation of debt issuance costs in the balance sheet as a deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of a deferred charge. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact the adoption of this standard will have on its financial statements.

Earnings_Loss_Per_Share

Earnings (Loss) Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings (Loss) Per Share	NOTE 2 - EARNINGS (LOSS) PER SHARE
	The table below represents the computation of UAL’s basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts and the number of securities that have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts because they were antidilutive (in millions, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Basic earnings (loss) per share:
	Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders	$	508	$	-609
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding		382		368
	Earnings (loss) per share, basic	$	1.33	$	-1.66
	Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
	Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders including the effect of dilutive securities	$	508	$	-609
	Diluted shares outstanding:
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding		382		368
	Effect of convertible notes		1		—
	Effect of restricted stock and employee stock options		1		—
	Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding		384		368
	Earnings (loss) per share, diluted	$	1.32	$	-1.66
	Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts:
	Restricted stock and stock options		—		2
	Convertible notes		—		28
	In January 2015, the holders of substantially all of the remaining $202 million principal amount of United’s 4.5% Convertible Notes due 2015 (the “4.5% Convertible Notes”) exercised their conversion option resulting in the issuance of 11 million shares of UAL common stock. There is no convertible debt outstanding as of March 31, 2015.
	On July 24, 2014, UAL’s Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program to acquire up to $1 billion of UAL’s common stock. UAL may repurchase shares through the open market, privately negotiated transactions, block trades, or accelerated share repurchase transactions from time to time in accordance with applicable securities laws. UAL will repurchase shares of common stock subject to prevailing market conditions, and may discontinue such repurchases at any time. UAL spent $200 million to repurchase approximately 2.9 million shares of UAL common stock in open market transactions in the first quarter of 2015. As of March 31, 2015, the Company has $480 million remaining to spend under the share repurchase program. See Part II, Item 2., “Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds” of this report for additional information.

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	NOTE 3 - ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
	The tables below present the components of the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (“AOCI”) (in millions):
	UAL (a)	Pension and		Derivative		Investments		Total
		Other		Contracts		and Other
		Postretirement
		Liabilities
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	-587	$	-499	$	7	$	-1,079
	Changes in value		-8		-75		15		-68
	Amounts reclassified to earnings		10		161		-1		170
	Net change		2		86		14		102
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	-585	$	-413	$	21	$	-977
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	584	$	11	$	13	$	608
	Changes in value		-5		-10		—		-15
	Amounts reclassified to earnings		-16		3		—		-13
	Net change		-21		-7		—		-28
	Balance at March 31, 2014	$	563	$	4	$	13	$	580
	Details about AOCI Components	Amount Reclassified from AOCI to				Affected Line Item in
		Income				the Statements of
						Consolidated Operations
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
	Fuel contracts-reclassifications of (gains) losses into earnings (b)	$	161	$	3	Aircraft fuel
	Amortization of pension and post-retirement items
	Amortization of unrecognized (gains) losses and prior service cost (credit) (b) (c)	$	10	$	-16	Salaries and related costs
	Investments and other
	Available for sale securities-reclassifications of gains into earnings (b)	$	-1	$	—	Miscellaneous, net
	(a) UAL and United amounts are substantially the same except for additional gains related to investments and other of $1 million at United in the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	(b) Income tax expense for these items was offset by the Company’s valuation allowance.
	(c) This AOCI component is included in the computation of net periodic pension and other postretirement costs (see Note 5 of this report for additional information).

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Taxes	NOTE 4 - INCOME TAXES
	Our effective tax rates are lower than the federal statutory rate of 35% primarily because of the impact of changes to existing valuation allowances. We continue to provide a valuation allowance for our deferred tax assets in excess of deferred tax liabilities because we have concluded that it is more likely than not that such deferred tax assets will ultimately not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income (including the reversals of deferred tax liabilities) during the periods in which those deferred tax assets will become deductible. The Company’s management assesses available positive and negative evidence regarding the Company’s ability to realize its deferred tax assets and records a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will not be realized. To form a conclusion, management considers positive evidence in the form of reversing temporary differences, projections of future taxable income and tax planning strategies and negative evidence such as historical losses. Although the Company was not in a three-year cumulative loss position at the end of 2014, management determined that the low level of cumulative pretax income, combined with uncertainty about forecasted results, supports the conclusion that the valuation allowance is still necessary. Management will continue to evaluate future financial performance to determine whether such performance is both sustained and significant enough to provide sufficient evidence to support reversal of the valuation allowance. The valuation allowance balance at March 31, 2015 was $4.6 billion.

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Employee Benefit Plans	NOTE 5 - EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
	Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans. The Company’s net periodic benefit cost includes the following components (in millions):
		Pension Benefits				Other Postretirement
						Benefits
		Three Months Ended				Three Months Ended
		March 31,				March 31,
		2015		2014		2015		2014
	Service cost	$	31	$	24	$	5	$	5
	Interest cost		50		51		20		22
	Expected return on plan assets		-49		-45		—		-1
	Amortization of unrecognized (gain) loss and prior service cost (credit)		22		3		-13		-19
	Settlement loss		1		—		—		—
	Total	$	55	$	33	$	12	$	7
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company contributed $180 million to its tax-qualified defined benefit pension plans.
	Settlement and Plan Remeasurement. During March 2015, the Company recognized a settlement loss of $1 million in earnings resulting from certain lump-sum payments under a separate pension plan related to the Company’s pilot workgroup. Application of settlement accounting required the Company to remeasure the assets and liabilities of this plan in the first quarter of 2015. The Company remeasured the pension plan’s liabilities using an average weighted discount rate of 4.05% compared to the year-end 2014 discount rate of 4.19%. As a result of the settlement, the projected benefit obligation of the plan increased by $6 million and Other comprehensive loss increased by an actuarial loss of $8 million. These items are not anticipated to materially impact expected net periodic benefit cost for the remainder of 2015. The Company recognizes the earnings impacts of its pension plans in Salaries and related costs in the Company’s Statements of Consolidated Operations.
	Share-Based Compensation. During the first quarter of 2015, UAL granted share-based compensation awards pursuant to the United Continental Holdings, Inc. 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan. These share-based compensation awards include approximately 0.2 million shares of restricted stock and 0.3 million restricted stock units (“RSUs”) that vest pro-rata over three years on the anniversary of the grant date. The time-vested RSUs are cash-settled based on the 20-day average closing price of UAL common stock immediately prior to the vesting date. The Company also granted 0.6 million performance-based RSUs that will vest based on the Company’s return on invested capital and the Company’s relative improvement in pre-tax margin for the three years ending December 31, 2017. If these performance conditions are achieved, cash payments will be made after the end of the performance period based on the 20-day average closing price of UAL common stock immediately prior to the vesting date. The Company accounts for the RSUs as liability awards.
	The table below presents information related to share-based compensation (in millions):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Share-based compensation expense (a)	$	17	$	32
		March 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
	Unrecognized share-based compensation	$	90	$	62
	(a) Includes $3 million of expense recognized in merger integration-related costs for the three months ended March 31, 2014. See Note 10 of this report for additional information.
	Profit Sharing Plans. Substantially all employees participate in profit sharing, which varies from 5% to 20% of pre-tax earnings, excluding special items, profit sharing expense and share-based compensation, depending on the work group and the Company’s earnings. Eligible U.S. co-workers in each participating work group received a profit sharing payout using a formula based on the ratio of each qualified co-worker’s annual eligible earnings to the eligible earnings of all qualified co-workers in all domestic work groups. Eligible non-U.S. co-workers receive profit sharing based on the calculation under the U.S. profit sharing plan for management and administrative employees. Profit sharing expense is recorded as a component of Salaries and related costs in the Company’s Statements of Consolidated Operations.

Financial_Instruments_and_Fair

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements	NOTE 6 - FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
	The table below presents disclosures about the financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the Company’s financial statements (in millions):
		March 31, 2015								December 31, 2014
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		UAL
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,352	$	3,352	$	—	$	—	$	2,002	$	2,002	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments:
	Asset-backed securities		795		—		795		—		901		—		901		—
	Corporate debt		883		—		883		—		876		—		876		—
	Certificates of deposit placed through an account registry service (“CDARS”)		252		—		252		—		256		—		256		—
	Auction rate securities		17		—		—		17		26		—		—		26
	U.S. government and agency notes		53		—		53		—		68		—		68		—
	Other fixed income securities		256		—		256		—		255		—		255		—
	Enhanced equipment trust certificates (“EETC”)		27		—		—		27		28		—		—		28
	Fuel derivatives liability, net		-641		—		-641		—		-717		—		-717		—
	Foreign currency derivatives asset, net		16		—		16		—		2		—		2		—
	Restricted cash		301		301		—		—		320		320		—		—
		United
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,346	$	3,346	$	—	$	—	$	1,996	$	1,996	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments:
	Asset-backed securities		795		—		795		—		901		—		901		—
	Corporate debt		883		—		883		—		876		—		876		—
	CDARS		252		—		252		—		256		—		256		—
	Auction rate securities		17		—		—		17		26		—		—		26
	U.S. government and agency notes		53		—		53		—		68		—		68		—
	Other fixed income securities		256		—		256		—		255		—		255		—
	EETC		27		—		—		27		28		—		—		28
	Fuel derivatives liability, net		-641		—		-641		—		-717		—		-717		—
	Foreign currency derivatives asset, net		16		—		16		—		2		—		2		—
	Restricted cash		301		301		—		—		320		320		—		—
	Convertible debt derivative asset		—		—		—		—		712		—		—		712
	Convertible debt derivative option liability		—		—		—		—		-511		—		—		-511
	United’s debt-related derivatives presented in the tables above related to (a) supplemental indentures that provided that United’s convertible debt was convertible into shares of UAL common stock upon the terms and conditions specified in the indentures, and (b) the embedded conversion options in United’s convertible debt that were required to be separated and accounted for as though they were free-standing derivatives as a result of the United debt becoming convertible into the common stock of a different reporting entity. The derivatives described above related to the 4.5% Convertible Notes. Gains (losses) on these derivatives were recorded in Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net in United’s Statements of Consolidated Operations. These derivatives along with their gains (losses) were reported in United’s separate financial statements and were eliminated in consolidation for UAL. In January 2015, the holders of substantially all of the remaining $202 million principal amount of the 4.5% Convertible Notes exercised their conversion option resulting in the issuance of 11 million shares of UAL common stock. The derivative assets and liabilities associated with the 4.5% Convertible Notes were settled in connection with the retirement of the related convertible debt, and the final accounting did not materially impact UAL’s or United’s Statements of Consolidated Operations.
	Available-for-sale investment maturities - The short-term investments shown in the table above are classified as available-for-sale. As of March 31, 2015, asset-backed securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately 40 years, corporate debt securities have remaining maturities of less than one year to approximately five years and CDARS have maturities of less than one year. U.S. government and other securities have maturities of less than one year to approximately three years. The EETC securities mature in 2019.
	Derivative instruments and investments presented in the tables above have the same fair value as their carrying value. The table below presents the carrying values and estimated fair values of financial instruments not presented in the tables above (in millions):
		Fair Value of Debt by Fair Value Hierarchy Level
		March 31, 2015										December 31, 2014
		Carrying		Fair Value								Carrying		Fair Value
		Amount										Amount
				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	UAL debt	$	11,614	$	12,232	$	—	$	9,282	$	2,950	$	11,434	$	12,386	$	—	$	8,568	$	3,818
	United debt		11,614		12,232		—		9,282		2,950		11,433		12,386		—		8,568		3,818
	Fair value of the financial instruments included in the tables above was determined as follows:
	Description	Fair Value Methodology
	Cash and cash equivalents	The carrying amounts approximate fair value because of the short-term maturity of these assets.
	Short-term investments and	Fair value is based on (a) the trading prices of the investment or similar instruments, (b) an income approach, which uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts into a single present amount based on current market expectations about those future amounts when observable trading prices are not available, (c) internally-developed models of the expected future cash flows related to the securities, or (d) broker quotes obtained by third-party valuation services.
	Restricted cash
	Fuel derivatives	Derivative contracts are privately negotiated contracts and are not exchange traded. Fair value measurements are estimated with option pricing models that employ observable inputs. Inputs to the valuation models include contractual terms, market prices, yield curves, fuel price curves and measures of volatility, among others.
	Foreign currency derivatives	Fair value is determined with a formula utilizing observable inputs. Significant inputs to the valuation models include contractual terms, risk-free interest rates and forward exchange rates.
	Debt	Fair values were based on either market prices or the discounted amount of future cash flows using our current incremental rate of borrowing for similar liabilities.

Hedging_Activities

Hedging Activities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Hedging Activities	NOTE 7 - HEDGING ACTIVITIES
	Fuel Derivatives
	The Company routinely hedges a portion of its expected aircraft fuel requirements to protect against increases in the price of fuel. The Company may restructure hedges in response to market conditions prior to their original settlement dates which may result in changes in hedge coverage levels and the potential recognition of gains or losses on such hedge contracts. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had hedged approximately 15% and 1% of its projected fuel requirements (575 million gallons and 35 million gallons, respectively) for the remainder of 2015 and 2016, respectively, with commonly used financial hedge instruments based on aircraft fuel or crude oil. As of March 31, 2015, the Company had fuel hedges expiring through March 2016.
	Upon proper qualification, the Company accounts for certain fuel derivative instruments as cash flow hedges. All derivatives designated as hedges that meet certain requirements are granted hedge accounting treatment. Instruments that qualify for hedge accounting treatment typically include swaps, call options, collars (which consist of a purchased call option and a sold put option) and four-way collars (a collar with a higher strike sold call option and a lower strike purchased put option). Generally, utilizing hedge accounting, all periodic changes in fair value of the derivatives designated as hedges that are considered to be effective are recorded in AOCI until the underlying fuel is consumed and recorded in fuel expense. The Company is exposed to the risk that its hedges may not be effective in offsetting changes in the cost of fuel and that its hedges may not continue to qualify for hedge accounting. Hedge ineffectiveness results when the change in the fair value of the cash flow hedge exceeds the change in the value of the Company’s expected future cash outlay to purchase fuel. To the extent that the periodic changes in the fair value of the derivatives are not effective, that ineffectiveness is classified as Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net in the statements of consolidated operations.
	The Company also utilizes certain derivative instruments that are economic hedges but do not qualify for hedge accounting under U.S. GAAP. As with derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting, the purpose of these economic hedges is to mitigate the adverse financial impact of potential increases in the price of fuel. Currently, the only such economic hedges in the Company’s hedging portfolio are three-way collars (a collar with a higher strike sold call option). The Company records changes in the fair value of three-way collars to Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net in the statements of consolidated operations.
	If the Company settles a derivative prior to its contractual settlement date, then the cumulative gain or loss recognized in AOCI at the termination date remains in AOCI until the forecasted transaction occurs. In a situation where it becomes probable that a hedged forecasted transaction will not occur, any gains and/or losses that have been recorded to AOCI would be required to be immediately reclassified into earnings. All cash flows associated with purchasing and settling derivatives are classified as operating cash flows in the condensed statements of consolidated cash flows.
	The Company records each derivative instrument as a derivative asset or liability (on a gross basis) in its consolidated balance sheets, and, accordingly, records any related collateral on a gross basis. The table below presents the fair value amounts of fuel derivative assets and liabilities and the location of amounts recognized in the Company’s financial statements.
	The Company’s derivatives were reported in its consolidated balance sheets as follows (in millions):
	Classification	Balance Sheet Location		March 31,				December 31,
				2015				2014
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	306			$	450
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				27
	Total liabilities			$	306			$	477
	Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting
	Assets:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Receivables		$	7			$	6
	Total assets			$	7			$	6
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	342			$	244
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				2
	Total liabilities			$	342			$	246
	Total derivatives
	Assets:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Receivables		$	7			$	6
	Total assets			$	7			$	6
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	648			$	694
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				29
	Total liabilities			$	648			$	723
	Derivative Credit Risk and Fair Value
	The Company is exposed to credit losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to its derivative instruments. While the Company records derivative instruments on a gross basis, the Company monitors its net derivative position with each counterparty to monitor credit risk. Based on the fair value of our fuel derivative instruments, our counterparties may require us to post collateral when the price of the underlying commodity decreases, and we may require our counterparties to provide us with collateral when the price of the underlying commodity increases. The Company posted $398 million and $577 million of collateral with fuel derivative counterparties as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. The collateral is recorded as Fuel hedge collateral deposits on the Company’s balance sheet.
	We have master trading agreements with all of our fuel hedging counterparties that allow us to net our fuel hedge derivative positions. We have elected not to net the fair value positions recorded on our consolidated balance sheets. The following table shows the potential net fair value positions (including fuel derivatives and related collateral) had we elected to offset. The table reflects offset at the counterparty level (in millions):
		March 31,				December 31,
		2015				2014
	Current liabilities: Other	$	(246	)		$	(209	)
	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other		—				(30	)
	Hedge derivatives liabilities, net	$	(246	)		$	(239	)
	The following tables present the impact of derivative instruments and their location within the Company’s unaudited statements of consolidated operations (in millions):
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
		Amount of Loss								Loss						Amount of Loss
		Recognized								Reclassified from						Recognized in
		in AOCI on Derivatives								AOCI into						Nonoperating income
		(Effective Portion)								Fuel Expense						(expense): Miscellaneous, net
																(Ineffective Portion)
		Three Months Ended								Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
		March 31,								March 31,						March 31,
		2015				2014				2015			2014			2015		2014
	Fuel contracts	$	(75	)		$	(10	)		$	(161	)	$	(3	)	$	—	$	(1	)
	Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting
	Fuel contracts
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015				2014
	Amount of loss recognized in Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net	$	(43	)		$	(40	)
	Foreign Currency Derivatives
	The Company generates revenues and incurs expenses in numerous foreign currencies. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates impact the Company’s results of operations through changes in the dollar value of foreign currency-denominated operating revenues and expenses. Some of the Company’s more significant foreign currency exposures include the Canadian dollar, Chinese renminbi, European euro, British pound and Japanese yen. At times, the Company uses derivative financial instruments to hedge its exposure to foreign currency. The Company does not enter into derivative instruments for non-risk management purposes. At March 31, 2015, the Company had forward contracts and collars in place to hedge 47% of its projected European euro denominated net cash inflows, primarily from passenger ticket sales, through the end of 2015.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies	NOTE 8 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	Commitments. As of March 31, 2015, United had firm commitments to purchase aircraft from The Boeing Company (“Boeing”), Embraer S.A. (“Embraer”) and Airbus S.A.S. (“Airbus”) presented in the table below:
	Aircraft Type	Number of Firm
		Commitments (a) (b)
	Airbus A350-1000		35
	Boeing 737NG/737 MAX 9		125
	Boeing 777-300ER		10
	Boeing 787-8/-9/-10		38
	Embraer E175		9
	(a) United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.
	(b) United also has committed to purchase two used Boeing 737-700 aircraft in 2015.
	During the first quarter of 2015, the Company modified its existing order of wide body aircraft by reducing its firm commitments for 10 Boeing 787 aircraft and replacing those aircraft with orders for 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The aircraft listed in the table above are scheduled for delivery for the remainder of 2015 through 2025. For the remainder of 2015, United expects to take delivery of 14 Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, eight Boeing 787-9 aircraft and nine Embraer E175 aircraft.
	As of March 31, 2015, United has EETC financing commitments for six aircraft deliveries in 2015, including two Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, one Boeing 787-9 aircraft and three Embraer E175 aircraft. In addition, United has secured backstop financing commitments from certain of its aircraft manufacturers for a limited number of its future aircraft deliveries, subject to certain customary conditions. Financing will be necessary to satisfy the Company’s capital commitments for its firm order aircraft and other related capital expenditures. See Note 9 of this report for additional information on aircraft financing.
	The table below summarizes United’s commitments as of March 31, 2015 (including those assigned from UAL), which primarily relate to the acquisition of aircraft and related spare engines, aircraft improvements and include other commitments primarily to acquire information technology services and assets.
		(in billions)
	Last nine months of 2015	$	2.4
	2016		1.8
	2017		1.8
	2018		2.2
	2019		3.3
	After 2019		10.8
		$	22.3
	Any incremental firm aircraft orders, including through the exercise of purchase options and purchase rights, will increase the total future capital commitments of the Company. In April 2015, the Company exercised its options for five additional Embraer E175 aircraft. The Company is currently negotiating with certain regional carriers to own and/or sublease and operate those five aircraft, which will be delivered in 2016.
	Guarantees and Off-Balance Sheet Financing
	Guarantees. United is the guarantor of approximately $2.0 billion in aggregate principal amount of tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds and interest thereon. These bonds, issued by various airport municipalities, are payable solely from rentals paid under long-term agreements with the respective governing bodies. The leasing arrangements associated with $1.5 billion of these obligations are accounted for as operating leases with the associated expense recorded on a straight-line basis resulting in ratable accrual of the lease obligation over the expected lease term. The leasing arrangements associated with $290 million of these obligations are accounted for as capital leases. All of these bonds are due between 2015 and 2038.
	In the Company’s financing transactions that include loans, the Company typically agrees to reimburse lenders for any reduced returns with respect to the loans due to any change in capital requirements and, in the case of loans in which the interest rate is based on the London Interbank Offered Rate, for certain other increased costs that the lenders incur in carrying these loans as a result of any change in law, subject in most cases to obligations of the lenders to take certain limited steps to mitigate the requirement for, or the amount of, such increased costs. At March 31, 2015, the Company had $2.4 billion of floating rate debt and $136 million of fixed rate debt, with remaining terms of up to 11 years, that are subject to these increased cost provisions. In several financing transactions involving loans or leases from non-U.S. entities, with remaining terms of up to 11 years and an aggregate balance of $2.5 billion, the Company bears the risk of any change in tax laws that would subject loan or lease payments thereunder to non-U.S. entities to withholding taxes, subject to customary exclusions.
	Labor Negotiations. As of March 31, 2015, United had approximately 84,000 active employees, of whom approximately 80% were represented by various labor organizations. We are in the process of negotiating joint collective bargaining agreements with our technicians and flight attendants.

Debt

Debt

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Debt

NOTE 9 - DEBT

As of March 31, 2015, a substantial portion of our assets is pledged as collateral for our debt. These assets principally consist of aircraft, route authorities and loyalty program intangible assets. As of March 31, 2015, the Company was in compliance with its debt covenants.

4.5% Convertible Notes due 2015. At December 31, 2014, the remaining balance of these notes was $202 million. In January 2015, the holders of substantially all of the remaining $202 million principal amount of the 4.5% Convertible Notes exercised their conversion option resulting in the issuance of 11 million shares of UAL common stock.

6% Notes due 2026. In the first quarter of 2015, UAL used cash to repurchase $18 million par value 6% Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”) in market transactions. On April 1, 2015, UAL used cash to redeem, at par, the remaining $303 million balance of the 2026 Notes. The 2026 Notes are recorded within Current maturities of long-term debt as of March 31, 2015.

6% Notes due 2028. In the first quarter of 2015, UAL used cash to repurchase $13 million par value 6% Notes due 2028 (the “2028 Notes”) in market transactions. On March 30, 2015, UAL notified holders of the 2028 Notes of its intention to redeem, at par, the remaining $298 million balance. In accordance with the call notice, UAL will use cash to redeem the 2028 Notes on May 1, 2015. The 2028 Notes are recorded within Current maturities of long-term debt as of March 31, 2015.

In the second quarter of 2015, the Company expects to record a nonoperating special charge of $129 million for the extinguishment of the 2026 Notes and the 2028 Notes. The nonoperating special charge is related to the write off of unamortized non-cash debt discounts.

2013 Credit and Guaranty Agreement. As of March 31, 2015, United had its entire capacity of $1.35 billion available under the revolving credit facility of the Company’s Credit and Guaranty Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”). See Note 11 in the Company’s 2014 Annual Report for additional information on the terms of the Credit Agreement.

EETCs. In August 2014, United created EETC pass-through trusts, each of which issued pass-through certificates. The proceeds of the issuance of the pass-through certificates are used to purchase equipment notes issued by United and secured by its aircraft. The Company records the debt obligation upon issuance of the equipment notes rather than upon the initial issuance of the pass-through certificates. The pass-through certificates represent fractional undivided interests in the respective pass-through trusts and are not obligations of United. The payment obligations under the equipment notes are those of United. Proceeds received from the sale of pass-through certificates are initially held by a depositary in escrow for the benefit of the certificate holders until United issues equipment notes to the trust, which purchases such notes with a portion of the escrowed funds. These escrowed funds are not guaranteed by United and are not reported as debt on our consolidated balance sheet because the proceeds held by the depositary are not United’s assets. United expects to receive all proceeds from these pass-through trusts by the end of 2015. Certain details of the pass-through trusts with proceeds received from issuance of debt in 2015 are as follows (in millions, except stated interest rate):

EETC Date

Class

Principal

Final

Stated

Total debt

Proceeds

Remaining

expected

interest

recorded as of

received from

proceeds from

distribution

rate

March 31,

issuance of

issuance of debt

date

2015

debt in the

to be received

three months

in future

ended

periods

March 31,

2015

Aug-14

A

$

823

September 2026

3.75%

$

638

$

526

$

185

Aug-14

B

238

Sep-22

4.63%

185

153

53

$

1,061

$

823

$

679

$

238

Special_Charges

Special Charges	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Special Charges	NOTE 10 - SPECIAL CHARGES
	For the three months ended March 31, special charges consisted of the following (in millions):
	Operating:	2015		2014
	Severance and benefits	$	50	$	14
	Integration-related costs		18		34
	(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges		-4		4
	Special charges		64		52
	Nonoperating:
	Loss on extinguishment of debt and other, net		6		21
	Income tax benefit		—		-1
	Total operating and nonoperating special charges, net of income taxes	$	70	$	72
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded $50 million of severance and benefits related to a voluntary early-out program for its flight attendants. In 2014, more than 2,500 flight attendants elected to voluntarily separate from the Company and will receive a severance payment, with a maximum value of $100,000 per participant, based on years of service, with retirement dates through the end of 2015. The Company will record approximately $50 million of additional expense through the remainder of 2015 associated with this program over the remaining required service periods.
	Integration-related costs include compensation costs related primarily to systems integration and training for employees.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded $6 million of losses as part of Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net due to the write-off of the debt discount related to the redemption of the 2026 Notes and 2028 Notes.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company recorded $14 million of severance and benefits and $34 million in integration-related costs. The severance and benefits primarily related to reductions of management and front-line employees, including from Hopkins International Airport (“Cleveland”), as part of its cost savings initiatives. The Company reduced its average daily departures from Cleveland by over 60 percent during the second quarter of 2014. The Company is currently evaluating its options regarding its long-term contractual commitments at Cleveland. The capacity reductions at Cleveland may result in further special charges, which could be significant, related to our contractual commitments. In addition, the Company recorded $21 million of losses due to exchange rate changes in Venezuela applicable to funds held in local currency.
	Accruals
	The accrual balance for severance and benefits was $96 million as of March 31, 2015, compared to $69 million as of March 31, 2014. The severance-related accrual as of March 31, 2015 is expected to be mostly paid through 2015. The following is a reconciliation of severance accrual activity for the period:
		Severance and
		Benefits
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	109
	Accrual		50
	Payments		-63
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	96

Significant_Accounting_Policie1

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Recently Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) amended the FASB Accounting Standards Codification and created a new Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This amendment prescribes that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The amendment supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. On April 1, 2015, the FASB proposed deferring the effective date of the amendment by one year to December 15, 2017 for annual reporting periods beginning after that date. The FASB also proposed permitting early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. The Company is evaluating the impact on its financial statements.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This standard amends existing guidance to require the presentation of debt issuance costs in the balance sheet as a deduction from the carrying amount of the related debt liability instead of a deferred charge. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, but early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact the adoption of this standard will have on its financial statements.

Earnings_Loss_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Computation of Earnings Per Share (Loss)	The table below represents the computation of UAL’s basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts and the number of securities that have been excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts because they were antidilutive (in millions, except per share amounts):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Basic earnings (loss) per share:
	Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders	$	508	$	-609
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding		382		368
	Earnings (loss) per share, basic	$	1.33	$	-1.66
	Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
	Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders including the effect of dilutive securities	$	508	$	-609
	Diluted shares outstanding:
	Basic weighted-average shares outstanding		382		368
	Effect of convertible notes		1		—
	Effect of restricted stock and employee stock options		1		—
	Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding		384		368
	Earnings (loss) per share, diluted	$	1.32	$	-1.66
	Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts:
	Restricted stock and stock options		—		2
	Convertible notes		—		28

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	The tables below present the components of the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax (“AOCI”) (in millions):
	UAL (a)	Pension and		Derivative		Investments		Total
		Other		Contracts		and Other
		Postretirement
		Liabilities
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	-587	$	-499	$	7	$	-1,079
	Changes in value		-8		-75		15		-68
	Amounts reclassified to earnings		10		161		-1		170
	Net change		2		86		14		102
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	-585	$	-413	$	21	$	-977
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	584	$	11	$	13	$	608
	Changes in value		-5		-10		—		-15
	Amounts reclassified to earnings		-16		3		—		-13
	Net change		-21		-7		—		-28
	Balance at March 31, 2014	$	563	$	4	$	13	$	580
	Details about AOCI Components	Amount Reclassified from AOCI to				Affected Line Item in
		Income				the Statements of
						Consolidated Operations
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
	Fuel contracts-reclassifications of (gains) losses into earnings (b)	$	161	$	3	Aircraft fuel
	Amortization of pension and post-retirement items
	Amortization of unrecognized (gains) losses and prior service cost (credit) (b) (c)	$	10	$	-16	Salaries and related costs
	Investments and other
	Available for sale securities-reclassifications of gains into earnings (b)	$	-1	$	—	Miscellaneous, net
	(a) UAL and United amounts are substantially the same except for additional gains related to investments and other of $1 million at United in the three months ended March 31, 2014.
	(b) Income tax expense for these items was offset by the Company’s valuation allowance.
	(c) This AOCI component is included in the computation of net periodic pension and other postretirement costs (see Note 5 of this report for additional information).

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Tables

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost	The Company’s net periodic benefit cost includes the following components (in millions):
		Pension Benefits				Other Postretirement
						Benefits
		Three Months Ended				Three Months Ended
		March 31,				March 31,
		2015		2014		2015		2014
	Service cost	$	31	$	24	$	5	$	5
	Interest cost		50		51		20		22
	Expected return on plan assets		-49		-45		—		-1
	Amortization of unrecognized (gain) loss and prior service cost (credit)		22		3		-13		-19
	Settlement loss		1		—		—		—
	Total	$	55	$	33	$	12	$	7
Share-Based Compensation Expense	The table below presents information related to share-based compensation (in millions):
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Share-based compensation expense (a)	$	17	$	32
		March 31, 2015		December 31, 2014
	Unrecognized share-based compensation	$	90	$	62
	(a) Includes $3 million of expense recognized in merger integration-related costs for the three months ended March 31, 2014. See Note 10 of this report for additional information.

Financial_Instruments_and_Fair1

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The table below presents disclosures about the financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the Company’s financial statements (in millions):
		March 31, 2015								December 31, 2014
		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		UAL
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,352	$	3,352	$	—	$	—	$	2,002	$	2,002	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments:
	Asset-backed securities		795		—		795		—		901		—		901		—
	Corporate debt		883		—		883		—		876		—		876		—
	Certificates of deposit placed through an account registry service (“CDARS”)		252		—		252		—		256		—		256		—
	Auction rate securities		17		—		—		17		26		—		—		26
	U.S. government and agency notes		53		—		53		—		68		—		68		—
	Other fixed income securities		256		—		256		—		255		—		255		—
	Enhanced equipment trust certificates (“EETC”)		27		—		—		27		28		—		—		28
	Fuel derivatives liability, net		-641		—		-641		—		-717		—		-717		—
	Foreign currency derivatives asset, net		16		—		16		—		2		—		2		—
	Restricted cash		301		301		—		—		320		320		—		—
		United
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,346	$	3,346	$	—	$	—	$	1,996	$	1,996	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments:
	Asset-backed securities		795		—		795		—		901		—		901		—
	Corporate debt		883		—		883		—		876		—		876		—
	CDARS		252		—		252		—		256		—		256		—
	Auction rate securities		17		—		—		17		26		—		—		26
	U.S. government and agency notes		53		—		53		—		68		—		68		—
	Other fixed income securities		256		—		256		—		255		—		255		—
	EETC		27		—		—		27		28		—		—		28
	Fuel derivatives liability, net		-641		—		-641		—		-717		—		-717		—
	Foreign currency derivatives asset, net		16		—		16		—		2		—		2		—
	Restricted cash		301		301		—		—		320		320		—		—
	Convertible debt derivative asset		—		—		—		—		712		—		—		712
	Convertible debt derivative option liability		—		—		—		—		-511		—		—		-511
Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Values of Financial Instruments	The table below presents the carrying values and estimated fair values of financial instruments not presented in the tables above (in millions):
		Fair Value of Debt by Fair Value Hierarchy Level
		March 31, 2015										December 31, 2014
		Carrying		Fair Value								Carrying		Fair Value
		Amount										Amount
				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3				Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
	UAL debt	$	11,614	$	12,232	$	—	$	9,282	$	2,950	$	11,434	$	12,386	$	—	$	8,568	$	3,818
	United debt		11,614		12,232		—		9,282		2,950		11,433		12,386		—		8,568		3,818

Hedging_Activities_Tables

Hedging Activities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Description of Derivative Instruments	The Company’s derivatives were reported in its consolidated balance sheets as follows (in millions):
	Classification	Balance Sheet Location		March 31,				December 31,
				2015				2014
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	306			$	450
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				27
	Total liabilities			$	306			$	477
	Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting
	Assets:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Receivables		$	7			$	6
	Total assets			$	7			$	6
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	342			$	244
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				2
	Total liabilities			$	342			$	246
	Total derivatives
	Assets:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Receivables		$	7			$	6
	Total assets			$	7			$	6
	Liabilities:
	Fuel contracts due within one year	Fuel derivative instruments		$	648			$	694
	Fuel contracts with maturities greater than one year	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other			—				29
	Total liabilities			$	648			$	723
Offsetting Liabilities	The following table shows the potential net fair value positions (including fuel derivatives and related collateral) had we elected to offset. The table reflects offset at the counterparty level (in millions):
		March 31,				December 31,
		2015				2014
	Current liabilities: Other	$	(246	)		$	(209	)
	Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other		—				(30	)
	Hedge derivatives liabilities, net	$	(246	)		$	(239	)
Schedule of Losses on Derivative Instruments	The following tables present the impact of derivative instruments and their location within the Company’s unaudited statements of consolidated operations (in millions):
	Derivatives designated as cash flow hedges
		Amount of Loss								Loss						Amount of Loss
		Recognized								Reclassified from						Recognized in
		in AOCI on Derivatives								AOCI into						Nonoperating income
		(Effective Portion)								Fuel Expense						(expense): Miscellaneous, net
																(Ineffective Portion)
		Three Months Ended								Three Months Ended						Three Months Ended
		March 31,								March 31,						March 31,
		2015				2014				2015			2014			2015		2014
	Fuel contracts	$	(75	)		$	(10	)		$	(161	)	$	(3	)	$	—	$	(1	)
Schedule of Derivative Instruments not Designated as Hedges Losses	Derivatives not designated for hedge accounting
	Fuel contracts
		Three Months Ended
		March 31,
		2015				2014
	Amount of loss recognized in Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net	$	(43	)		$	(40	)

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Schedule of Commitments to Purchase Aircrafts	The table below summarizes United’s commitments as of March 31, 2015 (including those assigned from UAL), which primarily relate to the acquisition of aircraft and related spare engines, aircraft improvements and include other commitments primarily to acquire information technology services and assets.
		(in billions)
	Last nine months of 2015	$	2.4
	2016		1.8
	2017		1.8
	2018		2.2
	2019		3.3
	After 2019		10.8
		$	22.3
Aircraft Type
Schedule of Commitments to Purchase Aircrafts	As of March 31, 2015, United had firm commitments to purchase aircraft from The Boeing Company (“Boeing”), Embraer S.A. (“Embraer”) and Airbus S.A.S. (“Airbus”) presented in the table below:
	Aircraft Type	Number of Firm
		Commitments (a) (b)
	Airbus A350-1000		35
	Boeing 737NG/737 MAX 9		125
	Boeing 777-300ER		10
	Boeing 787-8/-9/-10		38
	Embraer E175		9
	(a) United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.
	(b) United also has committed to purchase two used Boeing 737-700 aircraft in 2015.

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

Details of Pass Through Trusts

Certain details of the pass-through trusts with proceeds received from issuance of debt in 2015 are as follows (in millions, except stated interest rate):

EETC Date

Class

Principal

Final

Stated

Total debt

Proceeds

Remaining

expected

interest

recorded as of

received from

proceeds from

distribution

rate

March 31,

issuance of

issuance of debt

date

2015

debt in the

to be received

three months

in future

ended

periods

March 31,

2015

Aug-14

A

$

823

September 2026

3.75%

$

638

$

526

$

185

Aug-14

B

238

Sep-22

4.63%

185

153

53

$

1,061

$

823

$

679

$

238

Special_Charges_Tables

Special Charges (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Components of Special Charges	For the three months ended March 31, special charges consisted of the following (in millions):
	Operating:	2015		2014
	Severance and benefits	$	50	$	14
	Integration-related costs		18		34
	(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges		-4		4
	Special charges		64		52
	Nonoperating:
	Loss on extinguishment of debt and other, net		6		21
	Income tax benefit		—		-1
	Total operating and nonoperating special charges, net of income taxes	$	70	$	72
Schedule of Severance Related Accruals	The following is a reconciliation of severance accrual activity for the period:
		Severance and
		Benefits
	Balance at December 31, 2014	$	109
	Accrual		50
	Payments		-63
	Balance at March 31, 2015	$	96

Computation_of_Earnings_Loss_P

Computation of Earnings (Loss) Per Share (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Basic earnings (loss) per share:
Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders	$508	($609)
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	382	368
Earnings (loss) per share, basic	$1.33	($1.66)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share:
Earnings (loss) available to common stockholders including the effect of dilutive securities	$508	($609)
Diluted shares outstanding:
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	382	368
Effect of convertible notes	1
Effect of restricted stock and employee stock options	1
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	384	368
Earnings (loss) per share, diluted	$1.32	($1.66)
Restricted Stock And Stock Options
Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts:
Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts		2
Convertible Notes
Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts:
Potentially dilutive shares excluded from diluted per share amounts		28

Earning_Loss_Per_Share_Additio

Earning (Loss) Per Share - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Jul. 24, 2014	Jan. 31, 2015
Earnings Loss Per Share [Line Items]
Share repurchase program authorized amount		$1,000,000,000
Payments for repurchases of common stock	195,000,000
Share repurchase program remaining authorized amount	480,000,000
Open Market Repurchases
Earnings Loss Per Share [Line Items]
Payments for repurchases of common stock		200,000,000
Number of shares repurchased		2.9
Unsecured Debt | 4.5% Convertible Notes Due 2015
Earnings Loss Per Share [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Gross			202,000,000
Debt instrument stated interest rate	4.50%
Common stock issued in exchange for convertible notes			11
Debt instrument maturity year	2015
Convertible debt outstanding	$0

Components_of_Accumulated_Othe

Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	($1,079)	[1]	$608	[1]
Changes in value	-68	[1]	-15	[1]
Amounts reclassified to earnings	170	[1]	-13	[1]
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	102	[1]	-28	[1]
Ending Balance	-977	[1]	580	[1]
Pension and Other Postretirement Liabilities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	-587	[1]	584	[1]
Changes in value	-8	[1]	-5	[1]
Amounts reclassified to earnings	10	[1]	-16	[1]
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	2	[1]	-21	[1]
Ending Balance	-585	[1]	563	[1]
Derivative Contracts
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	-499	[1]	11	[1]
Changes in value	-75	[1]	-10	[1]
Amounts reclassified to earnings	161	[1]	3	[1]
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	86	[1]	-7	[1]
Ending Balance	-413	[1]	4	[1]
Other
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	7	[1]			13	[1]
Changes in value	15	[1]
Amounts reclassified to earnings	-1	[1]
Comprehensive income (loss) adjustments	14	[1]
Ending Balance	$21	[1]	$13	[1]	$13	[1]
[1]	UAL and United amounts are substantially the same except for additional gains related to investments and other of $1 million at United in the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Details_about_Accumulated_Othe

Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Salaries And Related Costs
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Amortization of unrecognized (gains) losses and prior service cost (credit)	$10	[1],[2]	($16)	[1],[2]
Miscellaneous, Net
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Available for sale securities-reclassifications of gains into earnings	-1	[1]
Fuel Oil Contract | Cash Flow Hedging | Aircraft Fuel
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Fuel contracts-reclassifications of (gains) losses into earnings	$161	[1]	$3	[1]
[1]	Income tax expense for these items was offset by the Company's valuation allowance.
[2]	This AOCI component is included in the computation of net periodic pension and other postretirement costs (see Note 5 of this report for additional information).

Components_of_Accumulated_Othe1

Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax (Parenthetical) (Detail) (United Airlines, Inc., USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
United Airlines, Inc.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Additional gains related to investments and other	$1

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Billions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Federal statutory income tax rate	35.00%
Cumulative loss position at the end of 2014		3 years
Deferred tax assets valuation allowance	$4.60

Components_of_Net_Periodic_Ben

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$31	$24
Interest cost	50	51
Expected return on plan assets	-49	-45
Amortization of unrecognized (gain) loss and prior service cost (credit)	22	3
Settlement loss	1
Total	55	33
Other Postretirement Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	5	5
Interest cost	20	22
Expected return on plan assets		-1
Amortization of unrecognized (gain) loss and prior service cost (credit)	-13	-19
Total	$12	$7

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Additio

Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of pre-tax earnings paid for profit sharing plan	5.00%
Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Percentage of pre-tax earnings paid for profit sharing plan	20.00%
RSUs
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of days used to compute performance period average closing price of restricted stock units	20 days
Share-Based Compensation, award granted	0.3
Share-Based Compensation, vesting period	3 years
Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-Based Compensation, award granted	0.2
Share-Based Compensation, vesting period	3 years
Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of days used to compute performance period average closing price of restricted stock units	20 days
Share-Based Compensation, vesting period	3 years
Share-Based Compensation, vesting date	31-Dec-17
Vesting Based On ROIC and Pre-Tax Margin [Member] | Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-Based Compensation, award granted	0.6
Pension Benefits
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employer contribution to tax-qualified defined benefit pension plans	$180
Defined benefit plan, settlement gain (loss)	-1
Defined benefit plan, discount rate	4.05%	4.19%
Increase in projected benefit obligation of the plans	6
Increase in other comprehensive loss due to actuarial loss	($8)

ShareBased_Compensation_Expens

Share-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Share-based compensation expense	$17	[1]	$32	[1]
Unrecognized share-based compensation	$90				$62
[1]	Includes $3 million of expense recognized in merger integration-related costs for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

ShareBased_Compensation_Expens1

Share-Based Compensation Expense (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Expense (benefit) recognized in integration-related costs	$18	$34
Special Charges
Compensation Related Costs Share Based Payments Disclosure [Line Items]
Expense (benefit) recognized in integration-related costs		$3

Financial_Assets_and_Liabiliti

Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring, USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$3,352	$2,002
Restricted cash	301	320
United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted cash	301	320
Asset-backed Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	795	901
Asset-backed Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	795	901
Corporate Debt
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	883	876
Corporate Debt | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	883	876
CDARS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	252	256
CDARS | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	252	256
Auction Rate Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	17	26
Auction Rate Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	17	26
U.S. Government and Agency Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	53	68
U.S. Government and Agency Notes | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	53	68
Other Fixed Income Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	256	255
Other Fixed Income Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	256	255
EETC
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
EETC	27	28
EETC | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
EETC	27	28
Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	-641	-717
Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	-641	-717
Foreign Currency Derivatives Asset, Net
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	16	2
Foreign Currency Derivatives Asset, Net | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	16	2
Convertible Debt Derivative Asset | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Convertible debt derivative asset		712
Convertible Debt Derivative Option Liability | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Convertible debt derivative option liability		-511
Level 1
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	3,352	2,002
Restricted cash	301	320
Level 1 | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Restricted cash	301	320
Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	795	901
Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	795	901
Level 2 | Corporate Debt
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	883	876
Level 2 | Corporate Debt | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	883	876
Level 2 | CDARS
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	252	256
Level 2 | CDARS | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	252	256
Level 2 | U.S. Government and Agency Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	53	68
Level 2 | U.S. Government and Agency Notes | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	53	68
Level 2 | Other Fixed Income Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	256	255
Level 2 | Other Fixed Income Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	256	255
Level 2 | Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	-641	-717
Level 2 | Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	-641	-717
Level 2 | Foreign Currency Derivatives Asset, Net
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	16	2
Level 2 | Foreign Currency Derivatives Asset, Net | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivatives, net	16	2
Level 3 | Auction Rate Securities
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	17	26
Level 3 | Auction Rate Securities | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Short-term investments	17	26
Level 3 | EETC
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
EETC	27	28
Level 3 | EETC | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
EETC	27	28
Level 3 | Convertible Debt Derivative Asset | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Convertible debt derivative asset		712
Level 3 | Convertible Debt Derivative Option Liability | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Convertible debt derivative option liability		($511)

Financial_Instruments_and_Fair2

Financial Instruments and Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Asset-backed Securities | Minimum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	1 year
Asset-backed Securities | Maximum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	40 years
Corporate Debt | Minimum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	1 year
Corporate Debt | Maximum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	5 years
CDARS | Maximum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	1 year
U.S. Government and Other Securities | Minimum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	1 year
U.S. Government and Other Securities | Maximum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities remaining maturities	3 years
EETC | Maximum
Fair Value [Line Items]
Available-for-sale securities maturity, year	2019
Unsecured Debt | 4.5% Convertible Notes Due 2015
Fair Value [Line Items]
Debt instrument convertible stated interest rate	4.50%
Debt instrument principal amount	202
Issuance of common stock conversion price	11

Carrying_Values_and_Estimated_

Carrying Values and Estimated Fair Values of Financial Instruments (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$11,614	$11,434
Carrying (Reported) Amount, Fair Value Disclosure | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	11,614	11,433
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	12,232	12,386
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure | Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	9,282	8,568
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure | Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	2,950	3,818
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure | United Airlines, Inc.
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	12,232	12,386
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure | United Airlines, Inc. | Level 2
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	9,282	8,568
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure | United Airlines, Inc. | Level 3
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$2,950	$3,818

Hedging_Activities_Additional_

Hedging Activities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Line Items]
Fuel hedges expiration date	2016-03
Cash Flow Hedging
Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Line Items]
Percentage of projection for hedging financial instruments	47.00%
2015 Projected
Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Line Items]
Percentage of projection for hedging financial instruments	15.00%
Volume of fuel hedging	575,000,000
2016 Projected
Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Line Items]
Percentage of projection for hedging financial instruments	1.00%
Volume of fuel hedging	35,000,000
Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Derivatives And Hedging Activities [Line Items]
Collateral posted with fuel derivative counterparties	398	$577

Description_of_Derivative_Inst

Description of Derivative Instruments (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	$648	$723
Fuel contracts, assets	7	6
Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	648	694
Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities		29
Receivables
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, assets	7	6
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	306	477
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging | Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	306	450
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging | Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities		27
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	342	246
Fuel contracts, assets	7	6
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Fuel Derivatives Liability, Net
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities	342	244
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, liabilities		2
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument | Receivables
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fuel contracts, assets	$7	$6

Offsetting_Liabilities_Detail

Offsetting Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Offsetting Asset and Liabilities [Line Items]
Potential net fair value positions elected to offset	($246)	($239)
Current liabilities: Other
Offsetting Asset and Liabilities [Line Items]
Potential net fair value positions elected to offset	-246	-209
Other liabilities and deferred credits: Other
Offsetting Asset and Liabilities [Line Items]
Potential net fair value positions elected to offset		($30)

Schedule_of_Losses_on_Derivati

Schedule of Losses on Derivative Instruments (Detail) (Designated as Hedging Instrument, Cash Flow Hedging, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Designated as Hedging Instrument | Cash Flow Hedging
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of Loss Recognized in AOCI on Derivatives (Effective Portion)	($75)	($10)
Loss Reclassified from AOCI into Income (Fuel Expense) (Effective Portion)	-161	-3
Amount of Loss Recognized in Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net (Ineffective Portion)		($1)

Schedule_of_Derivative_Instrum

Schedule of Derivative Instruments not Designated as Hedges Losses (Detail) (Not Designated as Hedging Instrument, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Not Designated as Hedging Instrument
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of loss recognized in Nonoperating income (expense): Miscellaneous, net	($43)	($40)

Firm_Commitments_to_Purchase_A

Firm Commitments to Purchase Aircraft (Detail) (United Airlines, Inc., Capital Addition Purchase Commitments)	Mar. 31, 2015
	Aircraft
Airbus A350-1000 Aircraft
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of new aircraft committed to purchase	35	[1],[2]
Boeing 737NG/737 MAX 9 aircraft
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of new aircraft committed to purchase	125	[1],[2]
B-777-300ER [Member]
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of new aircraft committed to purchase	10	[1],[2]
Boeing 787-8/-9/-10 Aircraft
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of new aircraft committed to purchase	38	[1],[2]
Embraer E175 aircraft
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of new aircraft committed to purchase	9	[1],[2]
[1]	United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.
[2]	United also has committed to purchase two used Boeing 737-700 aircraft in 2015.

Firm_Commitments_to_Purchase_A1

Firm Commitments to Purchase Aircraft (Parenthetical) (Detail) (737-700 aircraft)	Mar. 31, 2015
	Aircraft
737-700 aircraft
Commitments [Line Items]
Number of aircrafts committed to purchase in 2015	2

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Apr. 30, 2015
			Aircraft
Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Guarantor obligations, maximum exposure	2,000,000,000
Operating leases obligations	1,500,000,000
Capital leases obligations	290,000,000
Floating Rate Debt
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount	2,400,000,000
Fixed Rate Debt
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount	136,000,000
Loans And Leases From Non U S Entities
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument principal amount	2,500,000,000
Minimum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity year	2015
Maximum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument, remaining terms (years)	11 years
Maximum | Tax-exempt special facilities revenue bonds
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument maturity year	2038
Maximum | Loans And Leases From Non U S Entities
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Debt instrument, remaining terms (years)	11 years
Subsequent Event | Embraer E175 aircraft
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircrafts committed to purchase in 2015			5
United Airlines, Inc.
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of employees	84,000
Percentage of employees represented by various U.S. labor organizations	80.00%
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc.
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered	6
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Boeing 787-9
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft expected to be delivered	8
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered	1
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Embraer E175 aircraft
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft expected to be delivered	9
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered	3
Number of aircrafts committed to purchase in 2015	9	[1],[2]
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Boeing 737-900ER aircraft
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of aircraft expected to be delivered	14
Number of aircraft under financing arrangement expected to be delivered	2
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Minimum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
New aircraft, scheduled delivery date	2015
Capital Addition Purchase Commitments | United Airlines, Inc. | Maximum
Commitments and Contingencies [Line Items]
New aircraft, scheduled delivery date	2025
[1]	United also has options and purchase rights for additional aircraft.
[2]	United also has committed to purchase two used Boeing 737-700 aircraft in 2015.

Schedule_of_Acquisition_of_Air

Schedule of Acquisition of Aircrafts and Related Spare Engines (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Billions, unless otherwise specified
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Last nine months of 2015	$2.40
2016	1.8
2017	1.8
2018	2.2
2019	3.3
After 2019	10.8
Total commitments	$22.30

Debt_Additional_Information_De

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Apr. 01, 2015	1-May-15
Unsecured Debt | 4.5% Convertible Notes Due 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument stated interest rate		4.50%
Long-term Debt, Gross	$202,000,000
Common stock issued in exchange for convertible notes	11
Debt instrument maturity year		2015
United Airlines, Inc. | 6% Notes due 2026 and 2028 | Scenario Forecast
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Write off of unamortized discount			129,000,000
United Airlines, Inc. | Unsecured Debt | 6% Notes Due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument stated interest rate		6.00%
Debt purchased and retired		13,000,000
United Airlines, Inc. | Unsecured Debt | 4.5% Convertible Notes Due 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument stated interest rate		4.50%
Long-term Debt, Gross	202,000,000
Common stock issued in exchange for convertible notes	11
Debt instrument maturity year		2015
United Airlines, Inc. | Unsecured Debt | 6% Notes Due 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument stated interest rate		6.00%
Debt purchased and retired		18,000,000
United Airlines, Inc. | Unsecured Debt | 6% Notes Due 2026 | Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt purchased and retired				303,000,000
United Airlines, Inc. | Secured Debt | Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Available under revolving credit facility		1,350,000,000
United Airlines, Inc. | Scenario Forecast | Unsecured Debt | 6% Notes Due 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt purchased and retired					$298,000,000

Details_of_Pass_Through_Trusts

Details of Pass Through Trusts (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds received from issuance of debt	$100	$147
EETC
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt recorded	823
Proceeds received from issuance of debt	679
Remaining proceeds from issuance of debt to be received in future periods	238
EETC | August 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	1,061
United Airlines, Inc.
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Proceeds received from issuance of debt	100	147
United Airlines, Inc. | Class A Pass Through Certificates | August 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	823
Final expected distribution date	2026-09
Stated interest rate	3.75%
Total debt recorded	638
Proceeds received from issuance of debt	526
Remaining proceeds from issuance of debt to be received in future periods	185
United Airlines, Inc. | Class B Pass Through Certificates | August 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	238
Final expected distribution date	2022-09
Stated interest rate	4.63%
Total debt recorded	185
Proceeds received from issuance of debt	153
Remaining proceeds from issuance of debt to be received in future periods	$53

Components_of_Special_Charges_

Components of Special Charges (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating:
Severance and benefits	$50	$14
Integration-related costs	18	34
(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges	-4	4
Special charges	64	52
Nonoperating:
Loss on extinguishment of debt and other, net	6	21
Income tax benefit		-1
Total operating and nonoperating special charges, net of income taxes	$70	$72

Special_Charges_Additional_Inf

Special Charges - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Special Charges [Line Items]
Severance and benefits	$50,000,000	$14,000,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt and other, net	-6,000,000	-21,000,000
Integration-related costs	18,000,000	34,000,000
Venezuela local currency loss		21,000,000
Accrual severance and benefit	96,000,000	69,000,000
Severance-related accrual expected payment date	2015
Weighted Average | Cleveland
Special Charges [Line Items]
Percentage of flight reductions in average daily departures from Cleveland		60.00%
Voluntary early out program
Special Charges [Line Items]
Number of positions eliminated		2,500
Voluntary early out program | Maximum
Special Charges [Line Items]
Severance payment per participant		100,000
Scenario Forecast | Voluntary early out program
Special Charges [Line Items]
Severance and benefits	$50,000,000

Schedule_of_Severance_Related_

Schedule of Severance Related Accruals (Detail) (Severance and Benefits, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Severance and Benefits
Schedule Of Accrual Activity [Line Items]
Beginning Balance	$109
Accrual	50
Payments	-63
Ending Balance	$96