Uber vs United Airlines: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Uber reported $52B of revenue in FY2025 and $10.1B of net income. United Airlines reported $59.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Uber
- Latest revenue
- $52B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $10.1B
- Net margin
- 19.3%
- Revenue growth
- +26.5% a year, FY2017–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
Uber
Uber moved from years of heavy losses to steady profitability. Revenue grew from $37.3 billion in FY2023 to $44.0 billion in FY2024 and $52.0 billion in FY2025, while net income attributable to Uber was $10.053 billion in FY2025 (FY2024's $9.856 billion included a large tax valuation allowance release). Growth continued into 2026: Q2 2026 gross bookings rose 24% year over year to $58.0 billion and revenue rose about 12% to roughly $14.2 billion, and trailing twelve-month free cash flow passed $10 billion. The pending Delivery Hero deal, valued at $14.8 billion in equity, would be Uber's largest acquisition.
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
Uber
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $52B | $10.1B | 19.3% | +18.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $44B | $9.9B | 22.4% | +18.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $37.3B | $1.9B | 5.1% | +17.0% | Source |
| FY2022 | $31.9B | -$9.1B | -28.7% | +82.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $17.5B | -$496M | -2.8% | +56.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $11.1B | -$6.8B | -60.8% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $13B | -$8.5B | -65.4% | +24.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $10.4B | $997M | 9.6% | +31.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $7.9B | -$4B | -50.8% | — | 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
Uber
- Mobility
~52% (Q2 2026)
Fees from ride-hailing trips, including UberX, Uber Black, taxis and autonomous rides on partner vehicles. About $7.36B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Delivery
~37% (Q2 2026)
Fees from Uber Eats restaurant, grocery and retail orders, plus delivery advertising. About $5.25B of Q2 2026 revenue.
- Freight
~11% (Q2 2026)
Uber Freight brokerage and managed transportation services for shippers.
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
Uber
How it makes money
Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform. It matches riders with independent drivers (Mobility), consumers with restaurants, grocers and couriers (Delivery), and shippers with carriers (Freight), and keeps a share of each transaction as revenue.
Growth strategy
Uber's growth strategy centers on cross-platform engagement between Mobility and Delivery, Uber One membership, advertising, autonomous-vehicle partnerships, and international delivery scale. The €41.50-per-share Delivery Hero tender, launched September 18, 2026 after Delivery Hero's boards recommended it on September 2, would extend delivery density; Uber expects closing in the second half of 2027.
Competitive advantage
Uber's advantage comes from local marketplace liquidity, brand recognition, routing data, payments, driver and courier networks, merchant relationships, subscriptions, and cross-sell between Mobility and Delivery.
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 Uber vs United Airlines
Which company has higher revenue — Uber Technologies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. reported $52.0B (FY2025), while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported $59.1B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. is the larger business, with Uber Technologies, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Uber Technologies, Inc. vs United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $142.0B, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s is $36.1B. Uber Technologies, 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 — Uber Technologies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
Uber Technologies, Inc. generates $1.53M / employee in revenue per employee, while United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generates $522k / employee. Uber Technologies, 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 Uber Technologies, Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. make money?
Uber Technologies, Inc. and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Uber Technologies, Inc.: Uber does not own most of the cars, restaurants or trucks on its platform. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Uber Technologies, Inc. or United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Uber Technologies, Inc. trades at 2.7x P/S and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. at 0.6x P/S. Uber Technologies, 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 Uber Technologies, Inc. bigger than United Airlines Holdings, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. ($59.1B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Uber Technologies, Inc. ($52.0B (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 Uber vs United Airlines overview