You just want to get from point A to point B without being lectured about pronouns, diversity quotas, or corporate social justice initiatives. Is that too much to ask at 30,000 feet?
Unfortunately, the airline industry has been one of the most aggressive sectors when it comes to DEI hiring, Pride branding, and progressive corporate activism. But thanks to Trump's executive orders, a reinvigorated FAA, and conservative watchdog pressure, the cockpit is starting to look a little less woke. Here's where every major U.S. carrier stands in 2026 — ranked by their BuyWokeFree Woke Score — and what it means for your next flight.
The Woke Score Rankings: From Bad to Worst
Before we get to the good news, let's survey the damage. Every major U.S. airline has at some point embraced DEI hiring goals, LGBTQ+ sponsorships, or heavy ESG commitments. But some are far more egregious than others.
Southwest Airlines — Woke Score: 100/100 (Avoid)
That's right — Southwest earns the maximum woke score on the BuyWokeFree database. Despite facing a federal lawsuit from America First Legal over discriminatory DEI hiring practices, Southwest's CEO publicly doubled down on the company's DEI culture during an earnings call. They were one of only two major airlines to keep full DEI statements in their 2024 annual report, and they paid a symbolic one cent to settle a discrimination suit rather than admit wrongdoing.
Southwest used to be the people's airline. Now they're a DEI program with wings. Their budget-friendly fares come bundled with progressive activism — and that's a price many conservatives aren't willing to pay anymore.
Alaska Airlines — Woke Score: 90/100 (Avoid)
Alaska Airlines scores a 90 on our woke meter, making it the second most activist carrier in the U.S. Alaska has been a consistent participant in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, maintains aggressive diversity hiring targets, and has been a visible corporate sponsor of LGBTQ+ events. If you're flying the Pacific Northwest corridor, Alaska is nearly unavoidable — but when alternatives exist, take them.
United Airlines — Woke Score: 79/100 (Significant Concerns)
United Airlines scored an infamous own goal when they publicly announced a goal to have 50% of their pilot training class be women or people of color — explicitly tying hiring to demographic quotas rather than merit. The backlash was swift, and even some mainstream media couldn't ignore it. The FAA's 2025 directive ordering merit-based pilot hiring was tailor-made for carriers like United.
To their credit, United CEO Scott Kirby has since stated the airline will "continue to hire based on merit," but the company's track record earns it a 79 — too high to recommend when better options exist.
The Middle of the Pack
American Airlines — Woke Score: 71/100 (Use Caution)
American Airlines gets partial credit for actually doing something about its DEI problem. After America First Legal filed a discrimination complaint against the carrier, American agreed to formally abandon discriminatory DEI hiring practices — one of the first major airlines to make such a commitment in writing. They also scrubbed DEI references from their 2024 annual report entirely.
A Woke Score of 71 still puts American firmly in "use caution" territory, but the trajectory is heading in the right direction. If you're a frequent American flyer with miles invested, you can hold your nose slightly less tightly than you would on Southwest.
Delta Airlines — Woke Score: 52/100 (Least Worst Major Carrier)
Delta won't win any awards for conservative values, but with a Woke Score of 52, it's the least woke of the major U.S. airlines. Delta maintained a DEI statement in its annual report but framed everything around "merit-based" language — suggesting the company is at least reading the room politically, even if their underlying culture hasn't fully reformed.
For travelers who must fly a major carrier, Delta is your best bet among the big players. It's not a ringing endorsement — it's a harm reduction strategy.
The Budget Alternatives: Spirit and Frontier
Here's the silver lining for conservative flyers: budget carriers Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines are notably absent from the BuyWokeFree woke score database — and that silence is telling. Neither carrier has made headlines for DEI hiring scandals, progressive corporate activism, or LGBTQ+ sponsorship campaigns. They operate as lean, profit-focused airlines without the ideological baggage of their legacy competitors.
If your route options include Spirit or Frontier and you can handle the no-frills experience, these budget carriers offer an implicit win: your fare dollars aren't funding DEI departments, diversity chief salaries, or Pride sponsorships at 35,000 feet.
The FAA's New Merit-Based Mandate: A Win Worth Noting
In early 2025, the Trump administration's FAA issued a sweeping directive requiring all U.S. airlines to conduct pilot hiring on an exclusively merit-based basis, with federal enforcement consequences for non-compliance. The DOT simultaneously scrubbed DEI content from its own websites and effectively ended demographic-based hiring targets across the aviation industry.
This is a genuine policy win. Aviation safety and merit-based hiring should never have been separated in the first place, and it took an executive order to force the industry to admit what conservative travelers have known for years: putting DEI quotas ahead of qualifications in a safety-critical industry is reckless.
Tips for Flying Conservative in 2026
- Check the score before you book. Use the BuyWokeFree brand database to look up your carrier before committing to a fare. A few extra dollars to fly a less-woke airline is money well spent.
- Ditch the legacy carrier loyalty programs when possible. Southwest, United, and Alaska rake in massive loyalty program revenue. Shift your spending to Delta or a budget carrier wherever you can.
- Use a woke-free credit card for travel rewards. Several conservative financial institutions offer travel rewards cards that don't funnel points into progressive airline partnerships.
- Fly private when the budget allows. Charter flights and private aviation companies generally operate outside the corporate DEI ecosystem entirely. It's not accessible for everyone, but it's the ultimate woke-free flying experience.
- Drive when the route works. Road trips are the most woke-free travel option by definition — and American roads were built for exactly that kind of freedom.
The Bottom Line
The honest truth is that there is no fully woke-free major airline in 2026. The industry spent years enthusiastically embracing progressive corporate culture, and one election cycle isn't going to undo decades of DEI institutionalization overnight.
But the landscape is shifting. The FAA's merit-based hiring mandate, America First Legal's successful legal pressure campaigns, and a growing chorus of conservative consumers are all forcing the airline industry to reckon with the consequences of alienating half their customer base.
In the meantime, here's the 2026 hierarchy for conservative flyers: Delta is your least-bad major carrier. Spirit and Frontier are your best budget options. Southwest is the one to avoid most aggressively. And private aviation remains the ultimate expression of merit-based, woke-free travel.
The skies aren't fully free yet. But the wind is finally changing direction.