United Posts Q2 Results Above Wall Street Expectations; Revenue up 16% year-over-year

India, July 16 -- United Airlines (UAL) reported a second-quarter profit that exceeded expectations and is near the top-end of guidance. United delivered pre-tax earnings of $1.0 billion, with a pre-tax margin of 5.8%. Adjusted pre-tax earnings2 were $843 million, with an adjusted pre-tax margin2 of 4.8%.

Financial Performance

- Diluted EPS: $2.46; Adjusted EPS: $1.99.

- Full-Year 2026 Guidance: Raised to $9.00-$11.00 adjusted EPS.

- Revenue: $17.7 billion, up 16% year-over-year.

- Operating Margin: 6.2% (adjusted margin 5.4%).

- Net Income: $805 million (adjusted $649 million).

- Fuel Costs: Up sharply - $2.3 billion increase in Q2 (84% YoY). United expects nearly $6 billion in added fuel expense for the full year.

Demand & Revenue Streams

- Premium revenue: +16% YoY.

- Basic Economy: +11%.

- Loyalty revenue: +11%.

- Cargo revenue: +23%.

- Business travel: Contracted revenue +27%.

- Economy cabin: Unit revenue +12%, showing recovery momentum.

Operational Highlights

- Starlink Wi-Fi: Installed on 450....

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Travel Media.