The main focus of this work is on the non-Newtonian effects on the inertial instabilities in shear flows. Both inelastic (Carreau) and elastic models (Oldroyd-B and FENE-P) have been employed to examine the main features of the non-Newtonian fluids; shear-thinning, shear-thickening and elasticity. Several classical configurations have been considered; flow past a circular cylinder, in a lid-driven cavity and in a channel. We have used a wide range of tools for linear stability analysis, modal, non-modal, energy and sensitivity analysis, to determine the instability mechanisms of the non-Newtonian flows and compare them with those of the Newtonian flows. Direct numerical simulations have been also used to prove the results obtained by the linear stability analysis. Significant modifications/alterations in the instability of the different flows have been observed under the action of the non-Newtonian effects. In general, shear-thinning/shear-thickening effects destabilize/stabilize the flow around the cylinder and in a lid driven cavity. Viscoelastic effects both stabilize and destabilize the channel flow depending on the ratio between the viscoelastic and flow time scales. The instability mechanism is just slightly modified in the cylinder flow whereas new instability mechanisms arise in the lid-driven cavity flow. We observe that the non-Newtonian effect can alter the inertial flow at both baseflow and perturbation level (e.g. Carreau fluid past a cylinder or in a lid driven cavity) or it may just affect the perturbations (e.g. Oldroyd-B fluid in channel). In all the flow cases studied, the modifications in the instability dynamics are shown to be strongly connected to the contribution of the different terms in the perturbation kinetic energy budget. / <p>QC 20140113</p>