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Southwest 'trying to find our niche' in partnerships with other airlines: Alliances director. Southwest Airlines director - alliances Julie Morris, speaking at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Americas, stated (27-May-2026) after more than five decades, "the decision was made a few years ago to start expanding how we work with other airlines", including signing interline agreements for the first time. Ms Morris said: "Southwest has been around for quite a while. We'd like to think perfected the LCC model as a standalone airline that really controlled its own destiny in so many ways", adding: "We like to say we never intentionally transferred bags to other carriers, but we are doing that now". She said moving into activities such as interlining "brings a lot of complexity into an airline that really was able to have very standard processes and things that were automated for everybody", and reported: "We've learned a lot and I think it's going really well, but we're still very early in our journey". Ms Morris continued: "A lot of the global airline industry is partnered up in many different ways. We're entering this a little bit later in the game, so we are very open to all different types of partnerships, different carriers... we're just trying to find our niche as we move into this space". She concluded: "Our network is a bit unique in the US. We are hub-ish but not quite as hubbed as some of the other legacy carriers, and so we serve some different points and point to point markets and destinations that can be additive to other partnerships that already exist within the US". [more - CAPA TV]

Southwest Airlines bringing 'Independence One' to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026. By kent May 27, 2026 2 Mins Read Southwest Airlines(R) announced it will participate in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with its high-flying tribute to America's semiquincentennial celebration, Independence One. This newly launched, freedom-flying Boeing 737 MAX 8 will visit the World's Greatest Aviation Celebration(R) on Wednesday, July 22, showcasing Southwest(R)'s support of those who've given California Flyer the freedom to fly. EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the 73rd Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention, is July 20-26 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The thousands of aviation enthusiasts who annually visit EAA AirVenture will get to see Independence One up close and personal as it carries Southwest Airlines Employees who have served in the military and those with loved ones who have served, culminating in an impressive total of over 1,300 years of military service onboard. "Independence One is a stunning, colorful tribute to our freedom as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary in 2026," said Rick Larsen, EAA's vice president of communities and member programs, who coordinates AirVenture features and attractions. "It will undoubtedly be a big attraction and photo op during AirVenture, as EAA again brings together airplanes and people in a single location that is unmatched anywhere else in the world." Southwest is returning as a sponsor of WomenVenture, a conference aimed at inspiring and empowering women in aviation. Emily Estapa, Managing Director of Network Operations Control ATC Training and Standards at Southwest Airlines and a U.S. Air Force veteran, will be speaking at the WomenVenture forum on July 22. "When women come together, we're able to support one another and share our journeys," Estapa said. "That collective sense of belonging and visibility doesn't just advance individual careers - it elevates the entire aviation industry." Keep an eye out for Independence One parked on Boeing Plaza on Wednesday, July 22.

Best woke-free airlines in 2026: which carriers won't lecture you at 30,000 feet. By BuyWokeFree Staff Apr 21, 2026 0 views 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 Buy Woke Free 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. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate Buy Woke Free earn from qualifying purchases Southwest airlines - Woke Score: 100/100 (avoid). Discover more Company Culture Assessment Retail Trend Analysis Benchmade Griptilian 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 its 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). Discover more Emergency Food Kits BePrepared Solar Generators DEI Program Audits 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. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate Buy Woke Free earn from qualifying purchases 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. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate Buy Woke Free earn from qualifying purchases 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. Recommended Woke-Free Products As an Amazon Associate Buy Woke Free earn from qualifying purchases Be Prepared, Stay Independent