Why do some airlines opt to not have winglets installed?

Question

some airline operating next generation 737 do not have winglets installed on the wings? why wouldnt they want them?

Answer 1

yup cause its the airline option and  as the guys before me said cost saving.

Answer 2

Some of the earlier 737ng aircraft did not come with the supporting structure for the winglets.  They would have to be re-worked and the cost savings(approx 3 percent fuel savings) may or may not be worth the expense depending on the long term cost of fuel.

Answer 3

As far as I can tell, it's just a misguided attempt at saving money. I'm not certain, but I think that it's probably a product of leasing arrangements. A company buying aircraft to lease to corporations and airlines might want to save money on the purchase or upgrade rather than be concerned with efficiency and operating cost as they won't be operating the aircraft.

Answer 4

Cost saving and you loose a few knots with them. For instance the 727 Mno .90 with winglets .82. Over a long distance this can cost upto 45min.

Answer 5

They cost extra and add weight.  For short flights, where cruise drag is less dominant, they are not worth it.

Answer 6

Initial cost. I think it's about a million dollars per plane.

Answer 7

--Because of cost, instability, and appearance.

Plenty expensive, less stable, and they look cool to nonpilots.