IndiGo Passenger Questions 'Cute Fee' on Lucknow-Bengaluru Flight Ticket, Airline Responds

An advocate who booked an IndiGo flight from Lucknow to Bengaluru reviewed the ticket’s payment breakdown and humorously questioned the airline about a “Cute Charge” listed on the ticket. He humorously asked whether passengers are being charged for their cuteness or if the airline considers its planes cute.

“Dear @IndiGo6E, what is this ‘Cute Fee’? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?” wrote Shrayansh Singh on X (formerly Twitter).

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In the next few lines, he asked the airline about levying “User Development Fee” and “Aviation Security Fee” on tickets. “What is this ‘User Development Fee’? How do you develop me when I travel in your aeroplane? What is this ‘Aviation Security Fee’? Am I not paying taxes to the Government to ensure my safety when I travel? Or has the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India outsourced aviation security to businesses?” he added.

Alongside, he shared a screenshot of the breakdown of the ticket price. According to the screenshot, the airline levies several charges, including “Cute Charge”.

Take a look at the entire post below:

After the post went viral with over 1.7 million views, IndiGo responded to the post explaining the charges. “… Cute charges refer to the Common User Terminal Equipment charge. It is basically the amount that is charged for the use of metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipment that are being used at the airport.”

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It added, “Further, 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.”

Here’s how others reacted to the charges:

“Now I understand why IndiGo was showing 3X the price to me—apparently, even being cute is an offence!” posted an individual.

Another added, “Time will come when they charge – ground staff fee, announcement fee, air hostess fee, pilot announcement fee. When you have charged airfare why other so many fees?”

“So many ‘charges’ for a budget airline!” commented a third.

A fourth shared, “Seems like both got carried away. One with charging different fees and the other while paying it! The CUTE one was hilarious by the way!”