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American Airlines vs Southwest Airlines

On overall TruNorth grade, Southwest Airlines scores higher (American Airlines: C, Southwest Airlines: B). Both graded from public records across nine values categories.

C
American Airlines
40.6/100
B
Southwest Airlines
61.5/100

Political donations

American Airlines

FEC: $41K PAC donations; 35% to Republican, 65% to Democratic committees.

Southwest Airlines

FEC: $15K PAC donations; 72% to Republican, 28% to Democratic committees.

Environment

American Airlines

CDP Climate Change: B (2024) — management-band disclosure; discloses emissions data but limited target ambition.

Southwest Airlines

JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #66 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment.

Labor

American Airlines

837 federal penalties totaling $324.4M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

Southwest Airlines

318 federal penalties totaling $262.9M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

DEI

American Airlines

HRC Corporate Equality Index: 100/100 — Equality 100 Leader (2025). Top-rated LGBTQ+ workplace policies, benefits, and culture. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating.

Southwest Airlines

JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #66 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture.

Charity

American Airlines

$23M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.04% of revenue) via American Airlines Group Foundation.

Southwest Airlines

$12M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.05% of revenue). JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #66 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Drucker Institute Management Top 250 — ranked #37 (2024) on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. Fortune World's Most Admired Companies — ranked #27 (2024).

Animal testing

American Airlines

No public record found.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Firearms

American Airlines

No public record found.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Privacy

American Airlines

DOT enforcement: Record $50M DOT civil penalty — failure to provide timely refunds and mistreatment of wheelchair-using passengers; largest single-carrier enforcement action in agency history.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Executive pay

American Airlines

CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 155:1 (median employee pay $89,429) — SEC proxy statement (DEF 14A, 2026).

Southwest Airlines

CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 173:1 (median employee pay $95,715) — SEC proxy statement (DEF 14A, 2026).

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