So that turbulence thing we talked about isn’t important? Noise reduction isn’t important? Obstacle clearance isn’t important?
Any why are we only talking about airliners? What about corporate aircraft, single and twin engine piston aircraft, military aircraft, etc.?
I thought the article just cited did a reasonable job of describing the tradeoffs.
How compelling winglets are may vary by route.
Some of the benefits may matter a lot on some, not at all on others.
On some routes 1000 pounds of additional cargo may be more lucrative than a small fuel savings. On others the fuel savings may be large.