American Airlines vs Samsung: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
American Airlines reported $54.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $111M of net income. Samsung reported ~$236.9B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$31.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
American Airlines
- Latest revenue
- $54.6B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $111M
- Net margin
- 0.2%
- Revenue growth
- +3.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Samsung
- Latest revenue
- ~$236.9B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$31.4B
- Net margin
- 13.3%
- Revenue growth
- +4.5% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Financial summary
American Airlines
American Airlines operates in a capital-intensive industry with thin margins and direct exposure to fuel prices and demand shocks. In 2025 it produced $54.6 billion of operating revenue, $1.5 billion of operating income and $111 million of net income, after a government shutdown cut fourth-quarter revenue by about $325 million. The balance sheet is the binding constraint: total debt was $36.5 billion and net debt $30.7 billion at December 31, 2025, down $2.1 billion during the year, with net interest expense of $1.7 billion and total available liquidity of $9.2 billion. Management expects to reach its goal of less than $35 billion of total debt during 2026, a year ahead of schedule, and guided 2026 adjusted earnings to between $1.70 and $2.70 per diluted share with free cash flow above $2 billion.
Samsung
Samsung's earnings follow the memory cycle. Revenue fell from ~$215 billion (KRW 302.2 trillion) in 2022 to ~$184 billion (KRW 258.9 trillion) in 2023 during a chip downturn, then recovered to ~$214 billion (KRW 300.9 trillion) in 2024 and ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025, when net income reached about $31.5 billion (KRW 44.3 trillion). In 2026, AI server demand created a memory shortage. Q1 operating profit of ~$40.6 billion (KRW 57.2 trillion) exceeded the full-year 2025 total, and Q2 reached ~$63.5 billion (KRW 89.5 trillion) on ~$122 billion (KRW 171.5 trillion) revenue. Higher memory costs also squeezed Samsung's own devices: the MX and Networks unit lost ~$497 million (KRW 0.7 trillion) in Q2 2026 on ~$23.6 billion (KRW 33.2 trillion) revenue.
Revenue and profit by year
American Airlines
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $54.6B | $111M | 0.2% | +0.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | $54.2B | $846M | 1.6% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $52.8B | $822M | 1.6% | +7.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | $49B | $127M | 0.3% | +63.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $29.9B | -$2B | -6.7% | +72.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $17.3B | -$8.9B | -51.2% | -62.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $45.8B | $1.7B | 3.7% | +2.8% | Source |
| FY2018 | $44.5B | $1.4B | 3.2% | +4.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $42.6B | $1.3B | 3.0% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2016 | $40.1B | $2.6B | 6.4% | — | Source |
Samsung
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$236.9B | ~$31.4B | 13.3% | +10.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$213.6B | ~$23.9B | 11.2% | +16.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$183.8B | ~$10.3B | 5.6% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$214.6B | ~$38.9B | 18.1% | +8.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$198.5B | ~$27.9B | 14.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
American Airlines
- Passenger travel~83.5%
Fares paid for seats across Flagship Suite, Flagship Business, Premium Economy, Main Cabin Extra, Main Cabin and Basic Economy, plus baggage and other inflight services, on mainline and American Eagle regional flights. Passenger travel revenue was $45.6 billion in 2025 out of $54.6 billion of total operating revenue, and total passenger revenue including loyalty redemptions was $49.6 billion.
- Loyalty revenue (AAdvantage)~13.8%
AAdvantage produced $7.5 billion of revenue in 2025: $4.0 billion of mileage redemptions recognized inside passenger revenue and $3.5 billion of marketing-services revenue recognized in other revenue. Cash payments from co-branded credit card and other partners were $6.2 billion. Citibank is the exclusive U.S. co-brand issuer from 2026 under a 10-year agreement, and members also earn with more than 1,000 non-flight partners.
- Cargo~1.5%
American Airlines Cargo carries freight and mail in the belly holds of passenger aircraft rather than in dedicated freighters. Cargo revenue was $839 million in 2025, up 4.3 percent from $804 million in 2024.
- Other revenue~1.2%
Other revenue of $640 million in 2025 covers items outside passenger, loyalty and cargo revenue, including maintenance and ground handling work for third parties and other commercial activities.
Samsung
- Memory semiconductors
- Foundry and system LSI
- Galaxy smartphones and mobile devices
- Display panels
- TVs and appliances
- Network equipment
- Harman automotive and audio
Business model and strategy
American Airlines
How it makes money
The business model of American Airlines is more complex than selling plane tickets. American runs a hub-and-spoke network through nine hubs, and the flying itself carries thin margins: in 2025 the company produced operating income of $1.5 billion on $54.6 billion of revenue, and net income of $111 million after $1.7 billion of net interest expense.
Growth strategy
American frames growth around four commercial pillars: a more consistent and elevated customer experience, more productive use of its network and fleet, partnerships that deepen loyalty, and better sales, distribution and revenue management.
Competitive advantage
American's advantages are hub density and loyalty scale. At Dallas Fort Worth it flies more than 930 departures on a peak day, moving more than 30 percent of its daily connecting customers and connecting bags through that one airport, and it is reorganizing the schedule into 13 banks from April 2026 to protect connections.
Samsung
How it makes money
Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses. Device Solutions (DS) makes and sells memory (DRAM, HBM, NAND), System LSI chips such as Exynos processors and ISOCELL image sensors, and contract foundry manufacturing.
Growth strategy
Samsung's growth plan centers on AI memory: ramping HBM4 for Nvidia and AMD accelerators, developing HBM4E, and adding DRAM capacity at Pyeongtaek. In foundry it is pursuing 2nm gate-all-around production and building its Taylor, Texas fab to win customers from TSMC. On the device side it relies on Galaxy AI features, foldables and premium TVs to defend share against Apple and Chinese brands.
Competitive advantage
Samsung's edge is manufacturing scale and breadth. It is the largest memory producer and one of only three major DRAM makers, alongside SK hynix and Micron. That lets it capture pricing upswings like the 2026 AI-driven shortage.
Questions about American Airlines vs Samsung
Which company has higher revenue — American Airlines Group or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
American Airlines Group reported $54.6B (FY2025), while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reported ~$236.9B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is the larger business, with American Airlines Group reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of American Airlines Group vs Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
American Airlines Group's market capitalisation stands at $8.9B, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s is $1.33T. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to American Airlines Group.
Which is more financially efficient — American Airlines Group or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
American Airlines Group generates $393k / employee in revenue per employee, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generates $914k / employee. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do American Airlines Group and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. make money?
American Airlines Group and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. American Airlines Group: The business model of American Airlines is more complex than selling plane tickets. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.: Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — American Airlines Group or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, American Airlines Group trades at 0.2x P/S and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. at 5.6x P/S. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to American Airlines Group. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is American Airlines Group bigger than Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (~$236.9B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to American Airlines Group ($54.6B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the American Airlines vs Samsung overview