Travelers vs United Airlines: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Travelers reported $48.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $6.3B of net income. United Airlines reported $59.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Travelers
- Latest revenue
- $48.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $6.3B
- Net margin
- 12.9%
- Revenue growth
- +6.5% 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
Travelers
Travelers reported $48.828 billion in total revenues and $6.288 billion in net income for 2025, up from $46.423 billion and $4.999 billion in 2024. Core income was about $6.3 billion, or $27.59 per diluted share, for a core return on equity of 19.4%, and net written premiums reached a record $44.4 billion. Results kept improving in 2026: second-quarter net income was $2.208 billion ($10.26 per diluted share) versus $1.509 billion a year earlier, with an 83.6% combined ratio, $518 million of catastrophe losses and $883 million of after-tax net investment income. The company returned $1.577 billion to shareholders in that quarter alone.
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
Travelers
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $48.8B | $6.3B | 12.9% | +5.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | $46.4B | $5B | 10.8% | +12.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | $41.4B | $3B | 7.2% | +12.1% | Source |
| FY2022 | $36.9B | $2.8B | 7.7% | +5.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $34.8B | $3.7B | 10.5% | +8.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | $32B | $2.7B | 8.4% | +1.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $31.6B | $2.6B | 8.3% | +4.3% | Source |
| FY2018 | $30.3B | $2.5B | 8.3% | +4.8% | Source |
| FY2017 | $28.9B | $2.1B | 7.1% | +4.6% | Source |
| FY2016 | $27.6B | $3B | 10.9% | — | 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
Travelers
- Net earned premiums~88%
Premiums from Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance and Personal Insurance policies. Travelers wrote a record $44.4 billion of net premiums in 2025.
- Net investment income~9%
Income from the high-grade, mostly fixed-income portfolio funded by policyholder float and shareholder capital.
- Fee income and other revenues~3%
Fees from servicing workers' compensation residual-market pools and national accounts, plus other revenues such as Simply Business brokerage commissions.
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
Travelers
How it makes money
The Travelers Companies operates a leading property and casualty (P&C) commercial and personal insurance underwriting model. The company generates revenue through two complementary engines: insurance premium collection across Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance, and net investment income generated by its large, high-grade fixed-income float portfolio exceeding $100 billion.
Growth strategy
Travelers' growth strategy is built around its dual 'Perform and Transform' framework. Under 'Perform', the company emphasizes underwriting discipline, granular risk pricing, aggressive claims management, and investment yield optimization across its three core divisions: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.
Competitive advantage
Travelers has brand trust, deep agent and broker relationships, underwriting data, claim infrastructure, financial strength, and specialty capabilities such as surety. Its independent-agent reach gives it broad commercial distribution without building a purely direct-to-consumer marketing machine.
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 Travelers vs United Airlines
Which company has higher revenue — The Travelers Companies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
The Travelers Companies, Inc. reported $48.8B (FY2025), while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported $59.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is the larger business, with The Travelers Companies, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of The Travelers Companies, Inc. vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
The Travelers Companies, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $77.0B, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s is $36.1B. The Travelers Companies, 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 — The Travelers Companies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
The Travelers Companies, Inc. generates $1.50M / employee in revenue per employee, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generates $522k / employee. The Travelers Companies, 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 The Travelers Companies, Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. make money?
The Travelers Companies, Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. The Travelers Companies, Inc.: The Travelers Companies operates a leading property and casualty (P&C) commercial and personal insurance underwriting model. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — The Travelers Companies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, The Travelers Companies, Inc. trades at 1.6x P/S and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. at 0.6x P/S. The Travelers Companies, Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to United Airlines Holdings, Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is The Travelers Companies, Inc. bigger than United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ($59.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to The Travelers Companies, Inc. ($48.8B (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 Travelers vs United Airlines overview