United Airlines Reports Second-Quarter Profit, Sees Third-Quarter Positive Inflection in Both Supply and Demand
Airline expects less geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty in second half of 2025, with demand inflection beginning in early July with a 6 point acceleration in booking demand
Published industry schedules show a supply inflection beginning in mid-August, similar to schedule changes in 2024
Updated full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share1 guidance of
Q2 diluted earnings per share of
United's operation continues to execute strongly: Q2 consolidated on-time departures and seat cancellation rate were its best post-pandemic scores for a second quarter; In June, United at EWR led all other major airlines in on-time performance and lowest seat cancellation rate at all
The company had second-quarter pre-tax earnings of
Beginning in early July, United has seen a sequential 6 point acceleration in demand and a double-digit acceleration in business demand versus the second quarter. The airline attributes this to less geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty and has updated its full-year adjusted diluted earnings per share1 guidance to
United's diverse sources of revenue contributed to its second-quarter results: Premium cabin revenue rose 5.6% year-over-year; revenue from Basic Economy rose 1.7% year-over-year; cargo revenue rose 3.8% year-over-year and loyalty revenue rose 8.7% year-over-year.
United's operational performance during the second quarter continued to lay a foundation for its overall success. Its consolidated on-time departures (D:00) were highest and seat cancellation rates were the airline's lowest for a second quarter since the pandemic, and hubs in
"Our second-quarter performance was more proof that the United Next strategy is working. I am extremely proud of the team for executing a strong operation and navigating through a volatile macroeconomic period, while still growing earnings and pre-tax margin for the first half of the year," said United CEO
United's proactive schedule adjustments and close coordination with the
As part of the airline's broader strategy to pay down high-cost debt and strengthen its balance sheet, in July United repaid, solely using cash on hand, the remaining debt from a
Second-Quarter Financial Results
- Capacity up 5.9% compared to second-quarter 2024.
- Total operating revenue of
$15.2 billion , up 1.7% compared to second-quarter 2024. - TRASM down 4.0% compared to second-quarter 2024.
- CASM up 0.6%, and CASM-ex2 up 2.2%, compared to second-quarter 2024.
- Pre-tax earnings of
$1.2 billion , with a pre-tax margin of 8.2%; adjusted pre-tax earnings2 of$1.7 billion , with an adjusted pre-tax margin2 of 11.0%. - Net income of
$1.0 billion ; adjusted net income2 of$1.3 billion . - Diluted earnings per share of
$2.97 ; adjusted diluted earnings per share2 of$3.87 . - Average fuel price per gallon of
$2.34 . - Generated
$2.2 billion of operating cash flow. - Generated
$1.1 billion of free cash flow4. - Ending available liquidity5 of
$18.6 billion . - Total debt, finance lease obligations and other financial liabilities of
$27.1 billion at quarter end. - Trailing twelve months net leverage3 of 2.0x.
- Repurchased
$0.2 billion of shares in the second quarter 2025, and have repurchased approximately$0.6 billion of shares year-to-date6.
Key Highlights
- Announced Blue Sky, a unique collaboration with JetBlue that streamlines booking across the two airlines and allows customers to use MileagePlus® miles and TrueBlue points across both loyalty programs.
- Flew the airline's largest schedule for a quarter in company history, as measured by available seat miles, growing domestic and
Canada capacity by 6.6% and international capacity by 5.3% in available seat miles compared to last year. - United's
Newark operation regained the position of best on-time performance amongNew York City -area airports in the month of June, thanks in part to the early re-opening of the airport's second runway, strong execution from theNewark team, technology upgrades and hourly flight caps by theFAA . - Continued the expansion of United's premium footprint, offering a record-high 6.9 million premium seats in the quarter and announcing United Elevated, the airline's newest interior for Boeing 787-9, featuring new United Polaris Studio℠ suites that are 25% larger than United Polaris® with privacy doors, extra ottoman for companions, 27-inch screens, and exclusive food and beverage offerings to elevate premium air travel.
- Launched Starlink WiFi on some regional flights, marking the first time customers can use the airline's industry-leading, free WiFi.
- Announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Spotify that brings 450+ hours of content to United's seatback screens, including the first time Spotify is bringing both video podcasts and audiobooks onboard an airline.
Customer Experience
- Achieved the company's highest second-quarter Net Promoter Score measure of customer satisfaction since 2021, setting record rates for customer experience with baggage, cabin cleanliness and condition, boarding, the check-in process, gate experience, inflight entertainment, pilot communication, and seat comfort.
- Opened the United Polaris lounge dining room at
Newark , expanding the lounge size to over 30,000 square feet and becoming the only major airline dining room atNewark to offer a la carte meals. - Achieved a company high use rate of bag drop shortcut, with 600,000 more customers using it during the quarter compared to last year, enabling a more seamless travel experience.
- Digital check-in rate reached 83% for the quarter, a 5 percentage point increase year over year.
- Expanded TSA PreCheck Touchless ID to
San Francisco , and announced plans to expand it toDenver ,Newark ,Seattle andPortland in August. - Expanded ConnectionSaver with app notifications when flights are being held, and a centralized hub for turn-by-turn gate directions with walk times at all hubs, layover tips, flight status updates, and a self-service rebooking option for missed connections.
- Onboarded an exclusive Aperol Spritz cocktail for United Polaris travelers and an improved onboard dining collection for first class travelers on United Express® flights, contributing to a record Net Promoter Score for food and beverage for the quarter.
Operations
- Achieved the airline's best on-time departure rate for consolidated and mainline flying since 2021, with the second best on-time departure rate amongst the eight largest
U.S. carriers for a second quarter and best performance atDenver ,Los Angeles ,San Francisco andHouston hubs. - United was granted five additional gates at Chicago O'Hare, given the airline's increased flying out of the hub.
- Achieved a 100% completion day on
April 22nd across mainline and express flying, with United Express operating 28 days of total completion across the second quarter. - Recorded the second best on-time arrival performance for a second quarter at
Newark ,Houston andChicago hubs since 2021, and the best atLos Angeles . - Saw the lowest second-quarter seat cancel rate since 2021 and the third lowest in company history.
Network
- United launched the largest international expansion in its history, inaugurating service to eight new destinations: Nuuk,
Greenland ; Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia ; Faro,Portugal ;Puerto Escondido, Mexico ;Palermo, Italy ;Dakar, Senegal ;Bilbao, Spain ; andMadeira Island ,Portugal . - Announced three new international destinations and two new routes to existing destinations, making United the only
U.S. airline with service toBangkok, Thailand ;Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam ; andAdelaide, Australia , all subject to government approval. United also plans to inaugurate routes fromDenver toMexico City andDenver toPunta Cana, Dominican Republic . - United added seven new international routes to existing destinations, including
Denver toRome ;Washington -Dulles toVenice ,Italy ;Washington -Dulles toNice, France ;Los Angeles toBeijing ;San Francisco toPanama City, Panama ;San Francisco toSan Jose, Costa Rica ; andGuam toTaipei . - Launched 12 domestic and four
Canada routes in the quarter, including new routes to popular outdoor destinations such asWashington D.C. toAlbuquerque, N.M. ;Houston toPortland, Maine ;Chicago toBillings, Mont. ; andDenver toWilmington, N.C.
Employees and Communities
- United supported the transport of 136 responders to response and recovery efforts to nearly 20 different disaster events in partnership with
Airlink in the second quarter, including theMyanmar -Thailand earthquakes and theLos Angeles wildfires that impacted more than 150,000 people worldwide. - Nearly 2,000 employees volunteered more than 10,000 hours during the quarter in local community activities including beach clean-up, care kit creation, food security and other events.
- United transported 327 million pounds of cargo, including approximately 9.8 million pounds of medical shipments and over 440,000 pounds of military shipments.
- Graduated United's first cohort of Innovate apprentices, a two-year digital technology and cybersecurity pathway to full-time employment at United.
- United and the
Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) announced they reached an agreement that, if ratified, will deliver industry-leading pay, signing bonuses and scheduling improvements. - United was named Global Traveler's Best Eco-Friendly Airline for the fourth consecutive year, and won the Outstanding Innovation category for its commitment to scaling sustainable aviation fuel.
-
Kate Gebo , executive vice president of Human Resources and Labor Relations, was appointed to theMake-A-Wish Foundation's national board of directors.
Earnings Call
UAL will hold a conference call to discuss second-quarter 2025 financial results, as well as its financial and operational outlook for the third-quarter 2025 and beyond, on
Outlook
This press release should be read in conjunction with the company's Investor Update issued in connection with this quarterly earnings announcement, which provides additional information on the company's business outlook (including certain financial and operational guidance) and is furnished with this press release to the
The company's business outlook is subject to risks and uncertainties applicable to all forward-looking statements as described elsewhere in this press release. Please see the section entitled "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements."
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With hubs in
Website Information
We routinely post important news and information regarding United on our corporate website, www.united.com, and our investor relations website, ir.united.com. We use our investor relations website as a primary channel for disclosing key information to our investors, including the timing of future investor conferences and earnings calls, press releases and other information about financial performance (including financial guidance), reports filed or furnished with the
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release and the related attachments and Investor Update (as well as the oral statements made with respect to information contained in this release and the attachments) contain certain "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to, among other things, goals, plans and projections regarding the company's financial position, results of operations, market position, airline capacity, fleet plan strategy, fares, announced routes (which may be subject to government approval), booking trends, product development, corporate citizenship-related strategy initiatives and business strategy. Such forward-looking statements are based on historical performance and current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the company's future financial results, goals, plans, commitments, strategies and objectives and involve inherent risks, assumptions and uncertainties, known or unknown, including internal or external factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, that are difficult to predict, may be beyond the company's control and could cause the company's future financial results, goals, plans, commitments, strategies and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. Words such as "should," "could," "would," "will," "may," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "indicates," "remains," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "forecast," "guidance," "outlook," "goals," "targets," "pledge," "confident," "optimistic," "dedicated," "positioned," "on track", "path" and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such terms. All statements, other than those that relate solely to historical facts, are forward-looking statements.
Additionally, forward-looking statements include conditional statements and statements that identify uncertainties or trends, discuss the possible future effects of known trends or uncertainties, or that indicate that the future effects of known trends or uncertainties cannot be predicted, guaranteed or assured. All forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to us on the date of this release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or regulation.
Our actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, without limitation, the following: execution risks associated with our strategic operating plan; changes in our fleet and network strategy or other factors outside our control resulting in less economic aircraft orders, costs related to modification or termination of aircraft orders or entry into aircraft orders on less favorable terms, as well as any inability to accept or integrate new aircraft into our fleet as planned, including as a result of any mandatory groundings of aircraft; any failure to effectively manage, and receive anticipated benefits and returns from, acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures and other portfolio actions, or related exposures to unknown liabilities or other issues or underperformance as compared to our expectations; adverse publicity, increased regulatory scrutiny, harm to our brand, reduced travel demand, potential tort liability and operational restrictions as a result of an accident, catastrophe or incident involving us, our regional carriers, our codeshare partners or another airline; the highly competitive nature of the global airline industry and susceptibility of the industry to price discounting and changes in capacity, including as a result of alliances, joint business arrangements or other consolidations; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers to source a majority of our aircraft, engines and certain parts, and the impact of any failure to obtain timely deliveries, additional equipment or support from any of these suppliers; disruptions to our regional network and United Express flights provided by third-party regional carriers; unfavorable economic and political conditions in
Non-GAAP Financial Information:
In discussing financial results and guidance, the company refers to financial measures that are not in accordance with
Because the non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, they should not be considered superior to and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP financial measures presented in the press release and may not be the same as or comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies due to possible differences in method and in the items being adjusted. We encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. The company does not provide a reconciliation of forward-looking measures where the company believes such a reconciliation would imply a degree of precision and certainty that could be confusing to investors and is unable to reasonably predict certain items contained in the GAAP measures without unreasonable efforts. This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing or amount of various items that have not yet occurred and are out of the company's control or cannot be reasonably predicted. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. Forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures provided without the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures may vary materially from the corresponding GAAP financial measures.
Please refer to the tables accompanying this release for a description of the non-GAAP adjustments and reconciliations of the historical non-GAAP financial measures used to the most comparable GAAP financial measure and related disclosures.
Change in Presentation:
In the first quarter of 2025, the Company changed its rounding presentation to the nearest whole number in millions of reported amounts, except per share data or as otherwise designated. As such, certain columns and rows within the financial statements and tables presented may not sum due to rounding. Per unit amounts have been calculated from the underlying whole-dollar amounts. This change is not material and does not impact the comparability of our condensed consolidated financial statements.
-tables attached-
UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS, INC. STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED) |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
|
|
Six Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
||||
(In millions, except for percentage changes and per share data) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
Operating revenue: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passenger revenue |
|
$ 13,836 |
|
$ 13,680 |
|
1.1 |
|
|
$ 25,696 |
|
$ 24,993 |
|
2.8 |
Cargo revenue |
|
430 |
|
414 |
|
3.8 |
|
|
859 |
|
805 |
|
6.7 |
Other operating revenue |
|
970 |
|
892 |
|
8.8 |
|
|
1,893 |
|
1,727 |
|
9.6 |
Total operating revenue |
|
15,236 |
|
14,986 |
|
1.7 |
|
|
28,448 |
|
27,525 |
|
3.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating expense: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Salaries and related costs |
|
4,413 |
|
4,098 |
|
7.7 |
|
|
8,568 |
|
8,030 |
|
6.7 |
Aircraft fuel |
|
2,775 |
|
3,133 |
|
(11.4) |
|
|
5,476 |
|
6,087 |
|
(10.0) |
Landing fees and other rent |
|
961 |
|
866 |
|
11.0 |
|
|
1,834 |
|
1,670 |
|
9.8 |
Aircraft maintenance materials and outside repairs |
|
865 |
|
716 |
|
20.8 |
|
|
1,596 |
|
1,489 |
|
7.2 |
Depreciation and amortization |
|
733 |
|
719 |
|
2.0 |
|
|
1,461 |
|
1,427 |
|
2.4 |
Regional capacity purchase |
|
676 |
|
612 |
|
10.5 |
|
|
1,326 |
|
1,197 |
|
10.8 |
Distribution expenses |
|
487 |
|
626 |
|
(22.2) |
|
|
983 |
|
1,106 |
|
(11.1) |
Aircraft rent |
|
67 |
|
40 |
|
67.2 |
|
|
118 |
|
83 |
|
42.4 |
Special charges |
|
447 |
|
36 |
|
NM |
|
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
NM |
Other operating expenses |
|
2,487 |
|
2,211 |
|
12.5 |
|
|
4,814 |
|
4,359 |
|
10.4 |
Total operating expense |
|
13,911 |
|
13,057 |
|
6.5 |
|
|
26,516 |
|
25,497 |
|
4.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income |
|
1,325 |
|
1,929 |
|
(31.3) |
|
|
1,932 |
|
2,028 |
|
(4.7) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonoperating income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interest expense |
|
(361) |
|
(427) |
|
(15.5) |
|
|
(717) |
|
(881) |
|
(18.6) |
Interest income |
|
167 |
|
190 |
|
(12.3) |
|
|
331 |
|
367 |
|
(9.8) |
Interest capitalized |
|
51 |
|
60 |
|
(15.6) |
|
|
98 |
|
121 |
|
(18.6) |
Unrealized gains (losses) on investments, net |
|
26 |
|
(33) |
|
NM |
|
|
5 |
|
(70) |
|
NM |
Miscellaneous, net |
|
41 |
|
20 |
|
NM |
|
|
77 |
|
10 |
|
NM |
Total nonoperating expense, net |
|
(77) |
|
(190) |
|
(59.6) |
|
|
(206) |
|
(453) |
|
(54.6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income before income taxes |
|
1,248 |
|
1,739 |
|
(28.2) |
|
|
1,727 |
|
1,575 |
|
9.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Income tax expense |
|
275 |
|
416 |
|
(33.9) |
|
|
366 |
|
376 |
|
(2.7) |
Net income |
|
$ 973 |
|
$ 1,323 |
|
(26.4) |
|
|
$ 1,361 |
|
$ 1,199 |
|
13.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earnings per share, diluted |
|
$ 2.97 |
|
$ 3.96 |
|
(24.9) |
|
|
$ 4.12 |
|
$ 3.60 |
|
14.5 |
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding |
|
327.2 |
|
333.9 |
|
(2.0) |
|
|
330.1 |
|
333.1 |
|
(0.9) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NM-Greater than 100% change or otherwise not meaningful. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PASSENGER REVENUE INFORMATION AND STATISTICS (UNAUDITED) |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Information is as follows (in millions, except for percentage changes): |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
2Q 2025 Passenger Revenue |
|
Passenger Revenue vs. 2Q 2024 |
|
Passenger |
|
Yield vs. |
|
Available
Seat Miles vs. 2Q 2024 |
|
2Q 2025 |
|
2Q 2025 |
Domestic |
$ 7,905 |
|
(0.7 %) |
|
(7.0 %) |
|
(4.5 %) |
|
6.7 % |
|
45,100 |
|
37,936 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2,904 |
|
2.4 % |
|
(2.2 %) |
|
(0.8 %) |
|
4.6 % |
|
17,311 |
|
13,969 |
|
269 |
|
4.3 % |
|
(3.5 %) |
|
(1.3 %) |
|
8.1 % |
|
1,997 |
|
1,657 |
|
3,173 |
|
2.5 % |
|
(2.3 %) |
|
(0.9 %) |
|
4.9 % |
|
19,308 |
|
15,626 |
Pacific |
1,507 |
|
8.7 % |
|
2.9 % |
|
(1.9 %) |
|
5.7 % |
|
11,036 |
|
9,059 |
|
1,251 |
|
1.4 % |
|
(2.3 %) |
|
(1.2 %) |
|
3.8 % |
|
8,903 |
|
7,467 |
International |
5,931 |
|
3.8 % |
|
(1.0 %) |
|
(1.4 %) |
|
4.9 % |
|
39,247 |
|
32,152 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated |
$ 13,836 |
|
1.1 % |
|
(4.5 %) |
|
(3.2 %) |
|
5.9 % |
|
84,347 |
|
70,088 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Select operating statistics are as follows: |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
|
Six Months |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
|
|||
Passengers (thousands) (a) |
|
46,186 |
|
44,375 |
|
4.1 |
|
|
86,992 |
|
83,700 |
|
3.9 |
|
RPMs (millions) (b) |
|
70,088 |
|
67,064 |
|
4.5 |
|
|
129,604 |
|
124,491 |
|
4.1 |
|
ASMs (millions) (c) |
|
84,347 |
|
79,678 |
|
5.9 |
|
|
159,503 |
|
151,346 |
|
5.4 |
|
Passenger load factor: (d) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consolidated |
|
83.1 % |
|
84.2 % |
|
(1.1) |
pts. |
|
81.3 % |
|
82.3 % |
|
(1.0) |
pt. |
Domestic |
|
84.1 % |
|
86.4 % |
|
(2.3) |
pts. |
|
82.3 % |
|
85.1 % |
|
(2.8) |
pts. |
International |
|
81.9 % |
|
81.6 % |
|
0.3 |
pts. |
|
80.1 % |
|
79.0 % |
|
1.1 |
pts. |
PRASM (cents) |
|
16.40 |
|
17.17 |
|
(4.5) |
|
|
16.11 |
|
16.51 |
|
(2.4) |
|
Total revenue per available seat mile ("TRASM") (cents) |
|
18.06 |
|
18.81 |
|
(4.0) |
|
|
17.84 |
|
18.19 |
|
(1.9) |
|
Average yield per RPM (cents) (e) |
|
19.74 |
|
20.40 |
|
(3.2) |
|
|
19.83 |
|
20.08 |
|
(1.3) |
|
Cargo revenue ton miles (millions) (f) |
|
885 |
|
890 |
|
(0.6) |
|
|
1,774 |
|
1,742 |
|
1.8 |
|
Aircraft in fleet at end of period |
|
1,473 |
|
1,369 |
|
7.6 |
|
|
1,473 |
|
1,369 |
|
7.6 |
|
Average stage length (miles) (g) |
|
1,508 |
|
1,517 |
|
(0.6) |
|
|
1,482 |
|
1,500 |
|
(1.2) |
|
Employee headcount, as of |
|
111.3 |
|
106.0 |
|
5.0 |
|
|
111.3 |
|
106.0 |
|
5.0 |
|
Cost per ASM ("CASM") (cents) |
|
16.49 |
|
16.39 |
|
0.6 |
|
|
16.62 |
|
16.85 |
|
(1.3) |
|
CASM-ex (cents) (h) |
|
12.36 |
|
12.10 |
|
2.2 |
|
|
12.74 |
|
12.59 |
|
1.2 |
|
Average aircraft fuel price per gallon |
|
$ 2.34 |
|
$ 2.76 |
|
(15.3) |
|
|
$ 2.43 |
|
|
|
(13.8) |
|
Fuel gallons consumed (millions) |
|
1,188 |
|
1,134 |
|
4.7 |
|
|
2,254 |
|
2,159 |
|
4.4 |
|
(a) |
The number of revenue passengers measured by each flight segment flown. |
(b) |
The number of scheduled miles flown by revenue passengers. |
(c) |
The number of seats available for passengers multiplied by the number of scheduled miles those seats are flown. |
(d) |
RPMs divided by ASMs. |
(e) |
The average passenger revenue received for each RPM flown. |
(f) |
The number of cargo revenue tons transported multiplied by the number of miles flown. |
(g) |
Average distance a flight travels weighted for size of aircraft. |
(h) |
CASM-ex is CASM less the impact of fuel expense, profit sharing, special charges and third-party business expenses. See NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION for a reconciliation of CASM-ex to CASM, the most comparable GAAP measure. |
1 NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
UAL evaluates its financial performance utilizing various accounting principles generally accepted in
Because the non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP, they should not be considered superior to and are not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP financial measures presented in the press release and may not be the same as or comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies due to possible differences in method and in the items being adjusted. We encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.
The information below provides an explanation of certain adjustments reflected in the non-GAAP financial measures and shows a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures reported in this press release to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. Within the financial tables presented, certain columns and rows may not add due to the use of rounded numbers. Percentages, ratios and earnings per share amounts presented are calculated from the underlying amounts.
CASM-ex: CASM is a common metric used in the airline industry to measure an airline's cost structure and efficiency. UAL reports CASM excluding special charges, third-party business expenses, fuel expense, and profit sharing. UAL believes that adjusting for special charges is useful to investors because those items are not indicative of UAL's ongoing performance. UAL also believes that excluding third-party business expenses, such as maintenance, flight academy, ground handling and catering services for third parties, provides more meaningful disclosure because these expenses are not directly related to UAL's core business. UAL also believes that excluding fuel expense from certain measures is useful to investors because it provides an additional measure of management's performance excluding the effects of a significant cost item over which management has limited influence. UAL excludes profit sharing because it believes that this exclusion allows investors to better understand and analyze UAL's operating cost performance and provides a more meaningful comparison of our core operating costs to the airline industry.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR: We calculate Adjusted EBITDA by adding interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to net income and adjusting for special charges, nonoperating unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net and nonoperating debt extinguishment and modification fees. UAL believes that adjusting for these items is useful to investors because they are not indicative of UAL's ongoing performance. Effective
Adjusted Capital Expenditures: UAL believes that adjusting capital expenditures for assets acquired through the issuance or modification of debt, finance leases and other financial liabilities is useful to investors in order to appropriately reflect the total amounts spent on capital expenditures.
Free Cash Flow: Effective
Adjusted Total Debt and Adjusted Net Debt: Adjusted total debt is a non-GAAP financial measure that includes current and long-term debt, finance lease obligations and other financial liabilities, current and noncurrent operating lease obligations and noncurrent pension and postretirement obligations. Adjusted net debt is adjusted total debt minus cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. UAL provides adjusted total debt and adjusted net debt because we believe these measures provide useful supplemental information for assessing the company's debt and debt-like obligation profile.
Net Leverage: Net leverage is a non-GAAP financial measure that is equal to adjusted net debt divided by trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDAR. UAL provides net leverage because we believe it provides useful supplemental information for assessing the company's debt level. See the above descriptions of Adjusted Net Debt and Adjusted EBITDAR.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
|
Six Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
||||
CASM-ex (in cents, except for percentage changes) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
CASM (GAAP) |
|
16.49 |
|
16.39 |
|
0.6 |
|
16.62 |
|
16.85 |
|
(1.3) |
Fuel expense |
|
3.29 |
|
3.93 |
|
(16.3) |
|
3.43 |
|
4.02 |
|
(14.6) |
Profit sharing |
|
0.22 |
|
0.23 |
|
(3.1) |
|
0.15 |
|
0.13 |
|
11.6 |
Third-party business expenses |
|
0.09 |
|
0.08 |
|
7.2 |
|
0.09 |
|
0.08 |
|
10.2 |
Special charges |
|
0.53 |
|
0.05 |
|
NM |
|
0.21 |
|
0.03 |
|
NM |
CASM-ex (Non-GAAP) |
|
12.36 |
|
12.10 |
|
2.2 |
|
12.74 |
|
12.59 |
|
1.2 |
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Continued) |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Six Months Ended |
|
Twelve Months |
||||||
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDAR (in millions) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Net income (GAAP) |
|
$ 973 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted for: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
733 |
|
719 |
|
1,461 |
|
1,427 |
|
2,961 |
|
2,774 |
Interest expense, net of capitalized interest and interest income |
|
144 |
|
177 |
|
288 |
|
393 |
|
572 |
|
827 |
Income tax expense |
|
275 |
|
416 |
|
366 |
|
376 |
|
1,009 |
|
895 |
Special charges |
|
447 |
|
36 |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
403 |
|
125 |
Nonoperating unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
|
(26) |
|
33 |
|
(5) |
|
70 |
|
125 |
|
151 |
Nonoperating debt extinguishment and modification fees |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
35 |
|
93 |
|
35 |
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) |
|
16.7 % |
|
18.0 % |
|
13.4 % |
|
12.9 % |
|
14.6 % |
|
13.9 % |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fixed portion of operating lease expense |
|
$ 221 |
|
192 |
|
433 |
|
412 |
|
877 |
|
866 |
Adjusted EBITDAR (non-GAAP) (a) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) The prior period has been recast to conform to current period |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Six Months Ended |
||||
Adjusted Capital Expenditures (in millions) |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Capital expenditures, net of flight equipment purchase deposit returns |
$ 1,287 |
|
$ 1,164 |
|
$ 2,520 |
|
$ 2,530 |
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance or |
(51) |
|
(206) |
|
(52) |
|
(206) |
Adjusted capital expenditures (Non-GAAP) |
$ 1,236 |
|
$ 958 |
|
$ 2,468 |
|
$ 2,324 |
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Six Months Ended
|
|
Twelve Months Ended |
||||||
Free Cash Flow (in millions) (a) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) |
|
$ 2,217 |
|
$ 2,876 |
|
$ 5,927 |
|
$ 5,723 |
|
$ 9,649 |
|
$ 5,693 |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (GAAP) |
|
(1,580) |
|
134 |
|
(3,042) |
|
1,575 |
|
(7,268) |
|
(1,104) |
Adjusted for: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net change in short-term investments |
|
302 |
|
(1,207) |
|
556 |
|
(3,946) |
|
1,878 |
|
(5,149) |
Net change in restricted cash |
|
191 |
|
34 |
|
1 |
|
26 |
|
74 |
|
26 |
Free cash flow (Non-GAAP) |
|
$ 1,130 |
|
$ 1,837 |
|
$ 3,442 |
|
$ 3,378 |
|
$ 4,333 |
|
$ (534) |
(a) The prior period has been recast to conform to current period presentation. |
|
|
|
|
Increase/ (Decrease) |
|||
Adjusted Total Debt, Adjusted Net Debt and Net Leverage (in millions) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
Debt, finance lease obligations and other financial liabilities - current and noncurrent (GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
|
$ (2,184) |
|
Operating lease obligations - current and noncurrent |
|
5,707 |
|
4,991 |
|
716 |
|
Pension and postretirement liabilities - noncurrent |
|
1,199 |
|
1,610 |
|
(411) |
|
Adjusted total debt (Non-GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
|
(1,879) |
|
Less: Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ 9,354 |
|
|
|
(1,510) |
|
Short-term investments |
|
6,262 |
|
4,384 |
|
1,878 |
|
Adjusted net debt (Non-GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
|
(2,248) |
|
Net leverage (Non-GAAP) (a) |
|
2.0 |
|
2.4 |
|
(0.4) |
pts. |
(a) The prior period has been recast to conform to current period presentation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Continued) |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
Three Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
|
Six Months Ended |
|
% Increase/ (Decrease) |
||||
(in millions, except for percentage changes and per share data) |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
||
Operating expenses (GAAP) |
|
|
|
|
6.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
4.0 |
Special charges |
447 |
|
36 |
|
NM |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
NM |
Operating expenses, excluding special charges |
13,463 |
|
13,021 |
|
3.4 |
|
26,176 |
|
25,448 |
|
2.9 |
Adjusted to exclude: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fuel expense |
2,775 |
|
3,133 |
|
(11.4) |
|
5,476 |
|
6,087 |
|
(10.0) |
Profit sharing |
188 |
|
185 |
|
1.6 |
|
231 |
|
188 |
|
23.1 |
Third-party business expenses |
72 |
|
64 |
|
13.0 |
|
141 |
|
122 |
|
15.2 |
Adjusted operating expenses (Non-GAAP) |
|
|
$ 9,639 |
|
8.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating income (GAAP) |
$ 1,325 |
|
$ 1,929 |
|
(31.3) |
|
$ 1,932 |
|
$ 2,028 |
|
(4.7) |
Special charges |
447 |
|
36 |
|
NM |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
NM |
Adjusted operating income (Non-GAAP) |
$ 1,772 |
|
$ 1,965 |
|
(9.8) |
|
$ 2,272 |
|
$ 2,077 |
|
9.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating margin |
8.7 % |
|
12.9 % |
|
(4.2) pts. |
|
6.8 % |
|
7.4 % |
|
(0.6) pts. |
Adjusted operating margin (Non-GAAP) |
11.6 % |
|
13.1 % |
|
(1.5) pts. |
|
8.0 % |
|
7.5 % |
|
0.5 pts. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pre-tax income (GAAP) |
$ 1,248 |
|
$ 1,739 |
|
(28.2) |
|
$ 1,727 |
|
$ 1,575 |
|
9.6 |
Adjusted to exclude: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special charges |
447 |
|
36 |
|
NM |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
NM |
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
(26) |
|
33 |
|
NM |
|
(5) |
|
70 |
|
NM |
Debt extinguishment and modification fees |
— |
|
— |
|
NM |
|
— |
|
35 |
|
NM |
Adjusted pre-tax income (Non-GAAP) |
$ 1,670 |
|
$ 1,808 |
|
(7.6) |
|
$ 2,061 |
|
$ 1,729 |
|
19.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pre-tax margin (GAAP) |
8.2 % |
|
11.6 % |
|
(3.4) pts. |
|
6.1 % |
|
5.7 % |
|
0.4 pts. |
Adjusted pre-tax margin (Non-GAAP) |
11.0 % |
|
12.1 % |
|
(1.1) pts. |
|
7.2 % |
|
6.3 % |
|
0.9 pts. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (GAAP) |
$ 973 |
|
$ 1,323 |
|
(26.4) |
|
$ 1,361 |
|
$ 1,199 |
|
13.5 |
Adjusted to exclude: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special charges |
447 |
|
36 |
|
NM |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
NM |
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
(26) |
|
33 |
|
NM |
|
(5) |
|
70 |
|
NM |
Debt extinguishment and modification fees |
— |
|
— |
|
NM |
|
— |
|
35 |
|
NM |
Income tax benefit on adjustments, net |
(128) |
|
(8) |
|
NM |
|
(127) |
|
(19) |
|
NM |
Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP) |
$ 1,267 |
|
$ 1,384 |
|
(8.5) |
|
$ 1,568 |
|
$ 1,334 |
|
17.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) |
$ 2.97 |
|
$ 3.96 |
|
(24.9) |
|
$ 4.12 |
|
$ 3.60 |
|
14.5 |
Adjusted to exclude: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Special charges |
1.37 |
|
0.11 |
|
NM |
|
1.03 |
|
0.15 |
|
NM |
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
(0.08) |
|
0.09 |
|
NM |
|
(0.01) |
|
0.21 |
|
NM |
Debt extinguishment and modification fees |
— |
|
— |
|
NM |
|
— |
|
0.10 |
|
NM |
Income tax benefit on adjustments, net |
(0.39) |
|
(0.02) |
|
NM |
|
(0.38) |
|
(0.06) |
|
NM |
Adjusted diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) |
$ 3.87 |
|
$ 4.14 |
|
(6.5) |
|
$ 4.75 |
|
$ 4.00 |
|
18.7 |
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS |
|||
|
|||
(in millions) |
|
|
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ 9,354 |
|
$ 8,769 |
Short-term investments |
6,262 |
|
5,706 |
Receivables, net |
2,286 |
|
2,163 |
Aircraft fuel, spare parts and supplies, net |
1,547 |
|
1,572 |
Prepaid expenses and other |
809 |
|
673 |
Total current assets |
20,258 |
|
18,883 |
Operating property and equipment, net |
43,896 |
|
42,908 |
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
4,517 |
|
3,815 |
|
4,527 |
|
4,527 |
Intangible assets, net |
2,669 |
|
2,683 |
Investments in affiliates and other, net |
1,295 |
|
1,267 |
Total noncurrent assets |
56,904 |
|
55,200 |
Total assets |
$ 77,163 |
|
$ 74,083 |
|
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY |
|
|
|
Accounts payable |
$ 4,920 |
|
$ 4,193 |
Accrued salaries and benefits |
3,211 |
|
3,289 |
Advance ticket sales |
9,664 |
|
7,561 |
Frequent flyer deferred revenue |
3,552 |
|
3,403 |
Current maturities of long-term debt, finance leases, and other financial liabilities |
6,194 |
|
3,453 |
Current maturities of operating leases |
541 |
|
467 |
Other |
910 |
|
948 |
Total current liabilities |
28,992 |
|
23,314 |
Long-term debt, finance leases, and other financial liabilities |
20,885 |
|
25,203 |
Long-term obligations under operating leases |
5,166 |
|
4,510 |
Frequent flyer deferred revenue |
4,114 |
|
4,038 |
Pension and postretirement benefit liability |
1,199 |
|
1,233 |
Deferred income taxes |
1,919 |
|
1,580 |
Other |
1,515 |
|
1,530 |
Total noncurrent liabilities |
34,798 |
|
38,094 |
Total stockholders' equity |
13,373 |
|
12,675 |
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity |
$ 77,163 |
|
$ 74,083 |
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) |
|||
|
|||
(in millions) |
Six Months Ended |
||
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ 5,927 |
|
$ 5,723 |
|
|
|
|
Investing Activities: |
|
|
|
Capital expenditures, net of flight equipment purchase deposit returns |
(2,520) |
|
(2,530) |
Purchases of short-term and other investments |
(4,722) |
|
(1,754) |
Proceeds from sale of short-term and other investments |
4,222 |
|
5,820 |
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment |
48 |
|
42 |
Other, net |
(70) |
|
(3) |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
(3,042) |
|
1,575 |
|
|
|
|
Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
Proceeds from issuance of debt and other financial liabilities, net of discounts and fees |
— |
|
3,718 |
Payments of long-term debt, finance leases and other financial liabilities |
(1,611) |
|
(6,217) |
Repurchases of common stock |
(589) |
|
— |
Other, net |
(99) |
|
(19) |
Net cash used in financing activities |
(2,300) |
|
(2,518) |
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
585 |
|
4,780 |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the period |
8,946 |
|
6,334 |
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the period (a) |
$ 9,531 |
|
$ 11,114 |
|
|
|
|
Investing and Financing Activities Not Affecting Cash: |
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets acquired or modified through operating leases |
$ 973 |
|
$ 170 |
Property and equipment acquired through the issuance or modification of debt, finance leases and |
(52) |
|
(204) |
Operating leases converted to finance leases |
— |
|
44 |
Investment interests received in exchange for loans, goods and services |
14 |
|
18 |
(a) The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash to amounts reported within the condensed |
|||
|
|
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ 9,354 |
|
$ 10,864 |
Restricted cash in Prepaid expenses and other |
8 |
|
30 |
Restricted cash in Investments in affiliates and other, net |
168 |
|
220 |
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
$ 9,531 |
|
$ 11,114 |
NOTES (UNAUDITED) |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net include the following: |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Six Months Ended |
||||
(in millions) |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Operating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Labor contract ratification bonuses |
|
$ 561 |
|
$ — |
|
$ 561 |
|
$ — |
(Gains) losses on sale of assets and other special charges |
|
(114) |
|
36 |
|
(222) |
|
49 |
Total operating special charges |
|
447 |
|
36 |
|
340 |
|
49 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonoperating: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nonoperating unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
|
(26) |
|
33 |
|
(5) |
|
70 |
Nonoperating debt extinguishment and modification fees |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
35 |
Total nonoperating special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net |
|
(26) |
|
33 |
|
(5) |
|
105 |
Total operating and nonoperating special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on |
|
422 |
|
69 |
|
335 |
|
154 |
Income tax benefit, net of valuation allowance |
|
(128) |
|
(8) |
|
(127) |
|
(19) |
Total operating and nonoperating special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on |
|
$ 293 |
|
$ 61 |
|
$ 208 |
|
$ 135 |
Operating and nonoperating special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on investments included the following:
During the three and six months ended
Effective tax rate:
The company's effective tax rates were as follows:
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Six Months Ended |
||||
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Effective tax rate |
22.0 % |
|
23.9 % |
|
21.2 % |
|
23.9 % |
The provision for income taxes is based on the estimated annual effective tax rate, which represents a blend of federal, state and foreign taxes and includes the impact of certain nondeductible items. The decrease in the effective tax rate, in the three months ended
_________________________________________________ |
1 Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes operating and non-operating special charges and unrealized (gains) losses on investments, net and income tax benefit on adjustments, net. We are not providing a target for or a reconciliation to diluted earnings per share, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, because we are unable to predict the excluded items noted above contained in the GAAP measure without unreasonable efforts, and therefore we also are not able to determine the probable significance of such items. For additional information about United's adjusted diluted earnings per share guidance, please refer to the Investor Update issued in connection with this quarterly earnings announcement. |
2 For additional information about the non-GAAP financial measures used in this press release, see "Non-GAAP Financial Information" below. |
3 Effective |
4 Effective |
5 Includes cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments and undrawn credit facilities. |
6 Shares repurchased through |
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