IndiGo customer charged 'cute fee'. What it is and how Twitter users responded

Mumbai International Airport (Representative Image)

Passengers are charged a "CUTE" fee in their air ticket bookings and it has now become the subject of jokes on Twitter.

A Twitter user named Shantanu recently shared a screenshot of a ticket he booked with IndiGo. It included a "cute charge" of Rs 100. Instead of being written an acronym --CUTE for Common User Terminal Equipment -- it was spelt like the adjective "cute".

"I know I’m getting cuter with age but never thought IndiGo will start charging me for it," he joked.

I know I’m getting cuter with age but never thought ⁦@IndiGo6E⁩ would start charging me for it. pic.twitter.com/L7p9I3VfKX

— Shantanu (@shantanub) July 10, 2022

His tweet gathered nearly 8,000 likes, with other users joining in on the joke

"Didn’t the airline reply 'psst, share with us the PNR in a DM and we shall get an executive talk to you about your cuteness?' " asked a user named Tomal Dattaroy.

"Next flight, make sure to also have a CO2 compensation fee included, as well as a fee for being able to store your roll on in the cabin," said another. "Or maybe a charge for standing up rather than a seat."

Like Dattaroy, another passenger joked about their attractiveness.

"Only because of these new charges in Indigo, I don't book flights... It (CUTE charges) would be 20K for me.... More expensive than the flight fare itself," wrote Twitter user Simran Waliya.

IndiGo responded to Waliya's tweet, expanding the acronym "CUTE".

Only because of these new charges in Indigo, I don't book flights... It would be 20K for me.... More expensive than the flight fare itself. pic.twitter.com/RlV3IFiApc — Simran Waliya (@simran_waliya) July 10, 2022

"Please know that the CUTE charges are levied at select airports for the usage of Common User Terminal Equipment (CUTE) services," it said. 

CUTE fee is charged by the  Airports Authority of India for use of escalators,  metal detectors and other equipment at airports.