United Airlines

UAL Q1 2025 Earnings

Reported Apr 15, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET · SEC Source

Q1 25 EPS

$0.91

BEAT +23.79%

Est. $0.74

Q1 25 Revenue

$13.21B

BEAT +0.22%

Est. $13.18B

vs S&P Since Q1 25

-7.0%

TRAILING MARKET

UAL +30.1% vs S&P +37.1%

Market Reaction

Did UAL Beat Earnings? Q1 2025 Results

United Airlines opened 2025 with its strongest first-quarter performance in five years, posting earnings per share of $0.91 against a consensus estimate of $0.74, a beat of 23.79%, while revenue climbed 5.4% year-over-year to a record $13.21 billion,… Read more United Airlines opened 2025 with its strongest first-quarter performance in five years, posting earnings per share of $0.91 against a consensus estimate of $0.74, a beat of 23.79%, while revenue climbed 5.4% year-over-year to a record $13.21 billion, edging past the $13.18 billion estimate. The headline results were driven by broad-based demand strength, with premium cabin revenue up 9.2%, business travel up 7.4%, and a 12.2% decline in average fuel cost per gallon to $2.53 providing meaningful margin relief; the airline also swung to a GAAP net income of $387.00 million from a net loss of $124.00 million in Q1 2024. Yet the results arrived against an unsettled industry backdrop, with rivals cutting capacity and pulling full-year guidance amid tariff-driven demand uncertainty. United itself acknowledged the fog, issuing bimodal 2025 guidance of $11.50 to $13.50 per share in a stable economy and $7.00 to $9.00 in a recession, while proactively trimming domestic capacity by four percentage points beginning in the third quarter.

Key Takeaways

  • Premium cabin revenue rose 9.2% year-over-year
  • Business revenue up 7.4% year-over-year
  • Basic Economy revenue up 7.6% year-over-year
  • Atlantic RASM up 4.7% and Pacific RASM up 8.5% year-over-year
  • Cargo revenue up 9.7% and loyalty revenue up 9.4% year-over-year
  • Average fuel price per gallon declined 12.2% to $2.53
  • CASM down 3.4% year-over-year
  • $108 million net gains from aircraft sale-leaseback transactions (special credits)
  • Capacity up 4.9% year-over-year with record ASMs
  • Best on-time departure and arrival rate for a first quarter since 2021
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UAL YoY Financials

Q1 2025 vs Q1 2024, source: SEC Filings

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UAL Revenue by Segment

With YoY comparisons, source: SEC Filings

Q1 25 Q1 26
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UAL Revenue by Geography

With YoY comparisons, source: SEC Filings

Q1 25 Q1 26

“Our strategy coming out of the COVID pandemic was simple: Build the best airline in the world to attract brand-loyal customers. The people of United Airlines have executed and built that airline.”

— Scott Kirby, Q1 2025 Earnings Press Release