Net Income Per Common Unit (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Basic Net Income per Common Unit
Net income	$ 970	$ 288
Distributions to participating securities	(1)	(1)
Other	(3)	(1)
Net income allocated to common unitholders	917	237
Diluted Net Income per Common Unit
Net income	970	288
Distributions to participating securities	(1)	(1)
Other		(1)
Net income allocated to common unitholders	957	237
Series A Preferred Units
Basic Net Income per Common Unit
Distributions to preferred unitholders	(37)	(37)
Diluted Net Income per Common Unit
Distributions to preferred unitholders		(37)
Series B Preferred Units
Basic Net Income per Common Unit
Distributions to preferred unitholders	(12)	(12)
Diluted Net Income per Common Unit
Distributions to preferred unitholders	$ (12)	$ (12)
Common Units
Basic Net Income per Common Unit
Basic weighted average common units outstanding (units)	727	725
Basic net income per common unit (usd per unit)	$ 1.26	$ 0.33
Diluted Net Income per Common Unit
Basic weighted average common units outstanding (units)	727	725
Effect of dilutive securities:
Series A preferred units (units)	71
Equity-indexed compensation plan awards (units)	2	2
Diluted weighted average common units outstanding (units)	800	727
Diluted net income per common unit (usd per unit)	$ 1.20	$ 0.33

Distributions to participating securities pertaining to current period earnings.

No definition available.

Name:	paa_DistributionsToParticipatingSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	paa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the net income (loss) allocated to common unitholders in the calculation of basic net income per common unit after deducting amounts allocated to preferred unitholders, participating securities and the 2% general partner's interest, as applicable, under the two class method.

+ References

No definition available.