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Comprehensive Income - Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Fuel and oil	$ (877)us-gaap_FuelCosts	$ (1,314)us-gaap_FuelCosts
Less: Tax Expense	270us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	92us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Net of Tax	48us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Fuel derivatives | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Fuel and oil	72us-gaap_FuelCosts / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_CommodityContractMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Less: Tax Expense	27us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_CommodityContractMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Net of Tax	45us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_CommodityContractMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Interest rate derivatives | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest Expense	5us-gaap_InterestExpense / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Less: Tax Expense	2us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember
Net of Tax	$ 3us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic / luv_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTaxAxis = us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember

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- Definition

Fuel costs incurred that are directly related to goods produced and sold and services rendered during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.2(a),(d))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

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- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a),(b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

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- Definition

Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450988&loc=d3e26243-108391



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.9)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 9

-Article 9

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Balance Type:	debit
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- Definition

Net income after adjustments for dividends on preferred stock (declared in the period) and/or cumulative preferred stock (accumulated for the period).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 260

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 11

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7655603&loc=d3e1377-109256

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