Commitments and Contingencies - Schedule of Commitments (Details) $ in Billions	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($)
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Total commitments	$ 4.0
Capital Commitments
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation [Line Items]
Last three months of 2024	4.1
2025	7.2
2026	5.6
2027	4.8
2028	7.3
After 2028	27.8
Total commitments	$ 56.8

Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, To Be Paid, After Year Four

No definition available.

Name:	ual_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationToBePaidAfterYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	ual_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach). Includes, but is not limited to, lease not yet commenced.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478964/842-20-50-3

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach). Includes, but is not limited to, lease not yet commenced.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach). Includes, but is not limited to, lease not yet commenced.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported from current statement of financial position date (rolling approach). Includes, but is not limited to, lease not yet commenced.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceOnThirdAnniversary
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of unrecorded obligation to transfer funds in future for fixed or minimum amount or quantity of product and service at fixed or minimum price. Includes, but is not limited to, lease not yet commenced and take-or-pay and throughput contracts.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationBalanceSheetAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of fixed and determinable portion of unrecorded unconditional purchase obligation to be paid in remainder of current fiscal year.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationDueInRemainderOfFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 440
-SubTopic 10
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482648/440-10-50-4

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrecordedUnconditionalPurchaseObligationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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