United Airlines is seeing robust demand in the first quarter 2025 as industry transformation is well underway.
The surge follows a record fourth quarter profit in 2024. The airline closed the year on a high note with record Q4 pre-tax earnings of $1.3 billion, and adjusted pre-tax earnings of $1.4 billion. Total operating revenue for Q4 was $14.7 billion, up 7.8% compared to fourth-quarter 2023.
United delivered impressive financial results for 2024, reporting full-year pre-tax earnings of $4.2 billion and a pre-tax margin of 7.3%.
The company’s adjusted figures showed even stronger performance, with pre-tax earnings reaching $4.6 billion and an adjusted pre-tax margin of 8.1%.
2024 Overview
United set new records in 2024, serving nearly 174 million passengers system-wide and operating an average of 4,340 daily flights – an increase of 145 mainline flights per day compared to 2023.
The airline’s United Next strategic plan continues to yield positive results. Customer preference for United’s services grew significantly across all segments during the fourth quarter.
Premium revenue increased by 10%, corporate revenue rose by 7%, and Basic Economy revenue surged by 20% compared to the previous year. Additional revenue streams showed remarkable growth, with loyalty programs up 12% and cargo services jumping 30% year-over-year.
Operational Performance
United Airlines achieved several operational milestones in 2024, including record-breaking passenger numbers and flight operations.
United’s operational performance saw record-breaking passenger numbers in the fourth quarter and unprecedented performance metrics throughout the year.
The airline maintained its position as an industry leader in on-time departures across all U.S. hubs and achieved 88 days of perfect completion for United Express flights. This surpassed 2023’s record by 13 days.
The airline demonstrated exceptional operational efficiency by leading on-time performance at all seven of its U.S. hubs. This was possible thanks to strategic investments in workforce, airport infrastructure, and technology. These improvements contributed to heightened customer satisfaction throughout the year.
Network Performance
The carrier unveiled its most ambitious international expansion plan to date, announcing service to nine new international destinations for Summer 2025.
Eight of these destinations are exclusive to United among U.S. carriers, including unique routes to Ulaanbaatar, Nuuk, and Kaohsiung.
The airline also upgraded over 300 aircraft with enhanced features, leading to significantly improved customer satisfaction scores for in-flight entertainment.
As the largest international carrier among U.S. airlines, United operated nearly 700 daily international flights to 133 destinations across 67 countries in 2024.
The airline also expanded its domestic presence with 1.3 million flights serving over 200 cities, including more than 30 new routes.
The airline announced groundbreaking initiatives, including a partnership with SpaceX to provide Starlink Wi-Fi service across its fleet. It also saw the launch of innovative programs like Kinective MediaSM and MileagePlus® pooling.
Conclusion
CEO Scott Kirby emphasized the company’s successful post-COVID strategy, stating, “United had a unique strategy coming out of COVID and our people have delivered for customers leading to a structurally and permanently changed industry.”
“2024 was a strong year across the board for United as we’ve become the leading global airline and we enter 2025 with demand trends continuing to accelerate which puts us on the path to double-digit pre-tax margins.”
Looking forward to 2025, United anticipates strong first-quarter performance, projecting positive domestic Revenue per Available Seat Mile (RASM) and continued improvements in international RASM.
United plans to further extend its international reach this year, with 800 daily flights connecting 147 international destinations. This will include approximately 40 exclusive routes not served by other U.S. carriers.
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