United Airlines vs Xiaomi: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
United Airlines reported $59.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.4B of net income. Xiaomi reported ~$63.6B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$5.8B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
United Airlines
- Latest revenue
- $59.1B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $3.4B
- Net margin
- 5.7%
- Revenue growth
- +5.5% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Xiaomi
- Latest revenue
- ~$63.6B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$5.8B
- Net margin
- 9.1%
- Revenue growth
- +8.6% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Financial summary
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.
Xiaomi
FY2025 was Xiaomi's strongest year: revenue rose 25.0% to ~$63.6B (RMB457.3B), profit attributable to owners was ~$5.78B (RMB41.6B), and adjusted net profit rose 43.8% to ~$5.45B (RMB39.2B). The Smart EV, AI and other new initiatives segment more than tripled to ~$14.7B (RMB106.1B) on 411,082 vehicle deliveries and posted its first full-year operating profit. 2026 has been weaker. Q1 revenue was ~$13.8B (RMB99.1B) (down 10.9%) with adjusted net profit of ~$848M (RMB6.1B) (down 43.1%). Q2 revenue was ~$15.1B (RMB108.9B) (down 6.1%) with adjusted net profit of ~$862M (RMB6.2B) (down 42.6%) and a 19.8% gross margin. In Q2 the EV segment had ~$3.46B (RMB24.9B) of revenue and an operating loss of about $361M (RMB2.6B).
Revenue and profit by year
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
United Airlines
- Passenger tickets
- Premium cabins
- Basic Economy
- MileagePlus and co-brand revenue
- Cargo
- United Club memberships
- Baggage and seat fees
Xiaomi
- Smartphones
40.8% (FY2025)
~$25.9B (RMB186.4B) from Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones.
- IoT, Lifestyle Products and Internet Services
36.0% (FY2025)
Remainder of the Smartphone x AIoT segment, including appliances, TVs, wearables, advertising and games.
- Smart EV, AI and Other New Initiatives
23.2% (FY2025)
~$14.7B (RMB106.1B), mostly from SU7 and YU7 vehicle sales.
Business model and strategy
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.
Xiaomi
How it makes money
Xiaomi sells hardware at relatively thin margins and earns higher margins from internet services delivered through its installed base of devices, including advertising, app distribution and games. Smartphones were the largest single product line in FY2025 at ~$25.9B (RMB186.4B) of revenue. IoT products extend the ecosystem into homes, and many of them are made by ecosystem partner companies Xiaomi has invested in.
Growth strategy
Xiaomi's stated strategy is the Human x Car x Home ecosystem: sell more premium smartphones, add large appliances and other IoT categories, scale the car lineup, and invest in its own AI models and chips, such as the MiMo models and the XRING O1 processor.
Competitive advantage
Xiaomi's advantages are scale in smartphones (top three globally by shipments), a very wide range of connected products under one brand and one operating system, a large device base it can monetize through services, and a fast-growing car business that buyers can connect to the same ecosystem.
Questions about United Airlines vs Xiaomi
Which company has higher revenue — United Airlines Holdings, Inc. or Xiaomi Corp.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reported $59.1B (FY2025), while Xiaomi Corp. reported ~$63.6B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Xiaomi Corp. is the larger business, with United Airlines Holdings, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of United Airlines Holdings, Inc. vs Xiaomi Corp.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $36.1B, while Xiaomi Corp.'s is $83.0B. Xiaomi Corp. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to United Airlines Holdings, Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — United Airlines Holdings, Inc. or Xiaomi Corp.?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. generates $522k / employee in revenue per employee, while Xiaomi Corp. generates $1.12M / employee. Xiaomi Corp. 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 United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and Xiaomi Corp. make money?
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and Xiaomi Corp. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. United Airlines Holdings, Inc.: United makes money by filling a hub-and-spoke network. Xiaomi Corp.: Xiaomi sells hardware at relatively thin margins and earns higher margins from internet services delivered through its installed base of devices, including advertising, app distribution and games.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — United Airlines Holdings, Inc. or Xiaomi Corp.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. trades at 0.6x P/S and Xiaomi Corp. at 1.3x P/S. Xiaomi Corp. 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 United Airlines Holdings, Inc. bigger than Xiaomi Corp.?
By last reported revenue, Xiaomi Corp. (~$63.6B (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 United Airlines vs Xiaomi overview