Humana vs United Airlines: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Humana reported $129.7B of revenue in FY2025 and $1.2B of net income. United Airlines reported $59.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Humana
- Latest revenue
- $129.7B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $1.2B
- Net margin
- 0.9%
- Revenue growth
- +10.1% a year, FY2016–FY2025
United Airlines
- Latest revenue
- $59.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $3.4B
- Net margin
- 5.7%
- Revenue growth
- +5.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
Humana
Humana's revenue grew from $54.4 billion in 2016 to $129.66 billion in 2025, driven by Medicare Advantage enrollment and higher per-member payments. Profit moved the other way: net income fell from $3.37 billion in 2020 to $1.21 billion in 2024 and $1.19 billion in 2025 as medical costs rose faster than payments. In 2026 revenue is growing fast again: Q2 2026 revenue was $40.89 billion, up 26.2% year over year, with GAAP EPS of $5.73 and adjusted EPS of $7.61. Year-to-date operating cash flow reached $3.22 billion. Full-year 2026 guidance is adjusted EPS of at least $9.00 and GAAP EPS of at least $6.52, reflecting the Star Ratings bonus headwind.
United Airlines
United's revenue grew from $43.3 billion in 2019 to a record $59.1 billion in 2025, and net income reached $3.4 billion in 2025 against $3.1 billion in 2024. Operating cash flow was $8.4 billion in 2025. In 2026 the story is fuel: after oil prices spiked in March, United cut full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $7-$11, then raised it to $9-$11 in July after Q2 revenue rose 16% to $17.7 billion and yields climbed 12%. Q2 fuel expense was up $2.3 billion (84%), and the company said it expected to recover all of the increase through fares by Q4. Management is targeting an investment-grade credit rating in 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
Humana
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $129.7B | $1.2B | 0.9% | +10.1% | Source |
| FY2024 | $117.8B | $1.2B | 1.0% | +10.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $106.4B | $2.5B | 2.3% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $92.9B | $2.8B | 3.0% | +11.8% | Source |
| FY2021 | $83.1B | $2.9B | 3.5% | +7.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $77.2B | $3.4B | 4.4% | +18.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $64.9B | $2.7B | 4.2% | +14.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | $56.9B | $1.7B | 3.0% | +5.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $53.8B | $2.4B | 4.6% | -1.1% | Source |
| FY2016 | $54.4B | $614M | 1.1% | — | Source |
United Airlines
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $59.1B | $3.4B | 5.7% | +3.5% | Source |
| FY2024 | $57.1B | $3.1B | 5.5% | +6.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $53.7B | $2.6B | 4.9% | +19.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $45B | $737M | 1.6% | +82.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | $24.6B | -$2B | -8.0% | +60.4% | Source |
| FY2020 | $15.4B | -$7.1B | -46.0% | -64.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $43.3B | $3B | 7.0% | +4.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $41.3B | $2.1B | 5.1% | +9.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $37.7B | $2.1B | 5.7% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2016 | $36.6B | $2.2B | 6.1% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Humana
- Medicare Advantage
Core segment
Humana earns government-funded premiums by managing Medicare Advantage plans for seniors, balancing benefits, medical costs, quality scores, and risk adjustment.
- Medicaid and Dual Eligible
Government programs
Humana manages Medicaid and dual-eligible populations in selected states, using care coordination and government contracts to serve lower-income members.
- TRICARE and Specialty Programs
Contract revenue
The company participates in military health and other specialty programs that use Humana's insurance administration and provider-network capabilities.
- CenterWell and Care Delivery
Strategic adjacency
CenterWell primary care, pharmacy, and home-health services help Humana influence member outcomes, utilization, and retention in senior-focused healthcare.
United Airlines
- Passenger tickets
- Premium cabins
- Basic Economy
- MileagePlus and co-brand revenue
- Cargo
- United Club memberships
- Baggage and seat fees
Business model and strategy
Humana
How it makes money
Humana runs two reporting segments. The Insurance segment sells individual and group Medicare Advantage plans, stand-alone Medicare Part D drug plans, state Medicaid contracts, and administers TRICARE for the Defense Health Agency.
Growth strategy
Humana's strategy under Jim Rechtin is to grow Medicare Advantage membership while rebuilding margins and quality scores. Key moves include completing the exit from employer-group commercial medical coverage in 2025, adding more than 1 million MA members for 2026, pruning about 600,000 members' worth of underperforming plans for 2027, investing in Star Ratings operations, and expanding CenterWell Senior Primary Care…
Competitive advantage
Humana's edge is depth in one market. It is the second-largest Medicare Advantage insurer after UnitedHealth, it has decades of experience pricing senior risk, and it owns care-delivery assets built for seniors: CenterWell Senior Primary Care clinics, a large mail-order pharmacy, and CenterWell Home Health.
United Airlines
How it makes money
United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network. Domestic and regional flights feed passengers into seven U.S. hubs, where they connect to long-haul routes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Latin America. Ticket sales are the core: passenger revenue was $53.4 billion of the $59.1 billion total in 2025.
Growth strategy
United is investing in premium seating, larger aircraft, international routes, operational reliability, MileagePlus, airport clubs, digital service, Starlink connectivity, and network depth at core hubs.
Competitive advantage
United's advantage is its hub network, international route breadth, Star Alliance connectivity, premium-cabin expansion, MileagePlus loyalty base, corporate account strength, and major positions at airports such as Chicago O'Hare, Newark, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, Washington Dulles, and Los Angeles.
Questions about Humana vs United Airlines
Which company has higher revenue — Humana Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Humana Inc. reported $129.7B (FY2025), while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported $59.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Humana Inc. is the larger business, with United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Humana Inc. vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Humana Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $48.2B, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s is $36.1B. Humana Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to United Airlines Holdings, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Humana Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Humana Inc. generates $1.92M / employee in revenue per employee, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generates $522k / employee. Humana Inc. 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 Humana Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. make money?
Humana Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Humana Inc.: Humana runs two reporting segments. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Humana Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Humana Inc. trades at 0.4x P/S and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. at 0.6x P/S. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Humana Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Humana Inc. bigger than United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Humana Inc. ($129.7B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ($59.1B (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 Humana vs United Airlines overview