Why Southwest Airlines Is Retiring Its Boeing 737 NGs

Dallas-based low-cost airline Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), which has been the subject of shareholder activism by hedge fund Elliott Management over the past year, has demonstrated that it could be making yet another major strategic shift. Over the past few quarters, the airline, which once emphasized a customer and employee-oriented business model that offered free perks like free checked bags and no expiration on flight credits, has begun to shift towards being a standard no-frills-oriented carrier.