Story highlights
The passenger took to X (formerly Twitter) and humorously asked the airline if he was being charged for being cute.
An IndiGo passenger’s online rant has gone viral where he has questioned the airline for charging a “Cute fee”. The passenger was left perplexed after finding the unusual fare component in his ticket.
The user, identified as Shrayansh Singh, an advocate by profession, took to X (formerly Twitter) and humorously asked if he was being charged for being cute.
“Dear IndiGo, What is this ‘Cute Fee’? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?” Singh wrote. He also asked about the “User Development Fee” and “Aviation Security Fee” while expressing outrage.
Dear @IndiGo6E ,
1. What is this ‘Cute Fee’? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?
2. What is this ‘User Development Fee’? How do you develop me when I travel in your aeroplane?
3. What is this ‘Aviation… pic.twitter.com/i4jWvXh6UM
— Shrayansh Singh (@_shrayanshsingh) August 19, 2024
Singh’s rant invited various response with some criticising the airlines for charging a fortune to book a ticket and others poking fun at IndiGo.
“Now I understand why IndiGo was showing 3X the price to me—apparently, even being cute is an offense!” said one user, while another added: “OK now that you have asked questions, they may now add “Explanation Fees”.
A third added: “Soon enough, they’ll start delaying flights even more, make us sit at the airport for over two hours, and then charge us a “chair fee” for using the seats while we wait!”
What is Cute fee?
CUTE stands for Common User Terminal Equipment charge. It is the amount that is charged for the use of metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipment that are being used at the airport.
After the social media post went viral, IndiGo responded to the passenger and explained the breakup of the ticket components.
“User Development Fee is the fee charged for the development and maintenance of airport infrastructure and Aviation Security Fees is the fee collected by IndiGo in relation to a booking, from each customer per sector, for and on behalf of Airport operators in India,” wrote IndiGo.
Notably, this is not the first instance when IndiGo’s ‘Cute fee’ has stirred a discussion on social media. In 2022, another passenger posted their ticket and pointed out the charging of the ‘Cute fee’ by the airline. The post garnered more than 8,000 likes and a few hundred comments – ranging from hilarious to snarky.
