← TruNorth

Delta Air Lines vs Southwest Airlines

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

B
Delta Air Lines
58.9/100
B
Southwest Airlines
56.9/100

Political donations

Delta Air Lines

FEC: $58K PAC donations; 57% to Republican, 43% to Democratic committees.

Southwest Airlines

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

Environment

Delta Air Lines

CDP Climate Change: A- (2024) — leadership-band environmental disclosure with validated targets.

Southwest Airlines

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

Labor

Delta Air Lines

628 federal penalties totaling $133.8M since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

Southwest Airlines

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

DEI

Delta Air Lines

JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #38 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.

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

Delta Air Lines

$35M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.06% of revenue) via Delta Air Lines Foundation. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #38 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Drucker Institute Management Top 250 — ranked #39 (2024) on customer satisfaction, employee engagement, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. Fortune World's Most Admired Companies — ranked #10 (2024). Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies in America — ranked #13 (2024). Operates the Delta Air Lines Foundation: $12.4M in charitable contributions, gifts & grants paid (FY2023, IRS Form 990-PF).

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

Delta Air Lines

No public record found.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Firearms

Delta Air Lines

No public record found.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Privacy

Delta Air Lines

DOT enforcement: DOT consent order — failure to provide prompt refunds for flights cancelled or significantly changed during 2020-2021 COVID disruption.

Southwest Airlines

No public record found.

Executive pay

Delta Air Lines

CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 190:1 (median employee pay $100,976) — 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).

Compare any two brands on the values you care about — personalized to your 30-second quiz.

Open TruNorth →