United Airlines Holdings Inc Stock Price, News & Analysis

United Airlines (UAL) reported strong Q4 and full-year 2024 results, with full-year pre-tax earnings of $4.2 billion and a pre-tax margin of 7.3%. The company achieved full-year diluted earnings per share of $9.45, with adjusted earnings at $10.61.

Q4 highlights include total operating revenue of $14.7 billion (up 7.8% YoY), premium revenue up 10%, corporate revenue up 7%, and Basic Economy revenue up 20%. The company carried a record 174 million passengers systemwide in 2024, operating 4,340 daily flights.

United announced its largest international expansion, adding service to nine new international destinations for Summer 2025. The airline finished first in on-time performance at all seven U.S. hubs and achieved significant improvements in customer satisfaction. The company maintained strong liquidity of $17.4 billion and generated $9.4 billion in operating cash flow.

United Airlines announced it will host a conference call to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2024 financial results on Wednesday, January 22 at 9:30 a.m. CT/10:30 a.m. ET. The company will release its financial results and outlook after market close on Tuesday, January 21. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available at ir.united.com.

United Airlines has announced an accelerated timeline for implementing Starlink satellite internet across its fleet. The first commercial flight with Starlink service is expected this spring on an Embraer E-175 aircraft, with testing beginning next month. The airline plans to equip its entire two-cabin regional fleet by end of 2025 and launch its first mainline Starlink-enabled aircraft before year-end.

The service will be free for all MileagePlus members, offering high-speed, low-latency internet access gate-to-gate, enabling streaming services, shopping, and gaming. This follows United's agreement with SpaceX last September to bring Starlink to its entire fleet. The MileagePlus program, recently rated the world's best airline loyalty program, features free membership, no mile expiration, no blackout dates, and the ability to pool miles with family and friends.

United Airlines has integrated Apple's new Share Item Location feature for AirTag into its mobile app, enhancing baggage recovery for customers. This feature allows travelers to securely share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory with United's customer service agents, facilitating faster recovery of misplaced luggage.

With over 99% of bags arriving on time, this enhancement targets the fewer than 1% of bags that are delayed. Customers can now generate a Share Item Location link via the Find My app on their Apple devices and include it in a delayed baggage report within the United app. Authorized agents can view the item's location on an interactive map, which updates in real time, expediting the recovery process.

This feature is part of United's ongoing investments in infrastructure, training, and technology to improve customer service. For privacy and security, the shared location is disabled once the bag is found or after seven days. The new feature is available on iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS 15.2 and later.

United Airlines announced the launch of its seasonal 'North Pole' (JOY) hub, featuring 13 Fantasy Flight routes throughout December 2024. These special flights will transport deserving children and their families to transformed airport locations decorated as winter wonderlands, complete with Santa and elves.

The Fantasy Flights will operate from major airports including Cleveland, Chicago-O'Hare, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Guam, Honolulu, Houston Bush, London, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Tokyo, and Washington-Dulles. United is partnering with Make-A-Wish for select flights, with the airline pledging to match up to 5 million miles and $500,000 in monetary donations through December 31, 2024.

United Airlines announced a major expansion at Washington Dulles International Airport, including a new 435,000-square-foot, 14-gate Concourse E with an expected completion in late 2026. The half-billion-dollar project features a 40,000-square-foot United Club and state-of-the-art amenities. United, the D.C. region's largest airline with over 8,000 local employees, is expanding its network to nearly 280 daily flights by April 2025. The airline launched 13 new domestic routes in 2024 and plans new international services to Nice, Venice, and Dakar. A new flight attendant training center will open in 2025, demonstrating United's commitment to the region's growth.

United Airlines reports a significant surge in European holiday travel, with bookings up nearly 30% compared to 2019 and 10% versus last year. The airline plans to operate nearly 60 daily nonstop flights from U.S. hubs to Europe during November and December 2024, making it the largest U.S. carrier serving European destinations. United expects to handle approximately 25 million passengers during the 2024 holiday period, a 6% increase from 2023.

The surge aligns with a Deloitte survey showing holiday experience spending is expected to rise 16% while gift spending remains flat. United offers connections to over 130 European cities through partnerships with Lufthansa Group and Deutsche Bahn, providing access to popular Christmas markets in destinations like Dresden, Strasbourg, Vienna, and Cologne.

United Airlines announces its largest winter schedule ever, operating nearly 4,600 daily flights during peak season. The expansion includes new flights at over 140 U.S. airports and four new international destinations. The airline launches service to Marrakesh, Morocco on October 24, followed by routes to Cebu, Philippines, Medellin, Colombia, and Dominica. The schedule features significant growth in Africa, Southern Europe, and Latin America, with nearly 10% expansion in Latin American routes compared to last year. United also strengthens its domestic network, particularly to ski and sun destinations, offering triple the average daily flights to 11 ski markets compared to other U.S. carriers.

United Airlines has seen significant success with its industry-first digital sizing tool for wheelchair users, launched in March 2024. Over 20,000 customers have utilized the tool, contributing to a nearly four-point improvement in customer satisfaction scores compared to the previous year. The airline has also announced a new collaboration with United Spinal Association to further enhance accessibility initiatives.

The digital tool, available on United's app and website, helps customers find flights that can accommodate their wheelchair dimensions. United also offers refunds for fare differences if customers need to book more expensive flights to accommodate their wheelchairs. Additionally, the airline has implemented several other improvements, including Braille on aircraft interiors, enhanced mobile app accessibility, and improved inflight entertainment features for passengers with disabilities.