What's a CUTE fee, asks IndiGo passenger; check breakdown of flight ticket

A passenger travelling from Lucknow to Bengaluru has expressed his frustration over the numerous charges 'levied by IndiGo', asking if the CUTE fee is charged for being cute

Social media teams of airline companies often explain the various charges levied when booking a flight ticket, noting that many of these fees are collected on behalf of other agencies and passed on. The airlines themselves earn less from the final fare passengers pay. However, complaints about "overpriced" flight tickets continue to generate buzz on social media, particularly during festivals when air traffic increases.

In the latest such incident, a passenger travelling from Lucknow to Bengaluru expressed his frustration over the numerous charges "levied by IndiGo". In a post on X, he said, "What is this 'Cute Fee'? Do you charge users for being cute? Or do you charge because you believe that your aeroplanes are cute?"

While everyone is aware of the basic airfare, which is the fee paid by a passenger for air transport, the imposition of GST on air tickets serves as a significant revenue stream for the government. The GST funds contribute to the development of aviation infrastructure, ensuring safer and more efficient travel experiences for passengers.

However, there are several other charges with which passengers may not be familiar. So, here are the most commonly levied charges:

CUTE Fee: CUTE or Common User Terminal Equipment charges include fees for using metal-detecting machines, escalators, and other equipment at airports. The CUTE fee is sometimes also referred to as a passenger handling fee.

Aviation Security Fee (ASF): This fee is used to pay the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is tasked with protecting most major airports in the country, except for a few that have Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) flights and are under state police jurisdiction. Notably, the ASF differs for domestic and international passengers. ASF is levied only on departing passengers, not on arriving passengers, with a few exceptions. Children under the age of two, who travel on infant fares and do not get a full seat, are exempt from ASF. Also exempt are those with diplomatic passports, persons travelling on duty in Indian Air Force aircraft, personnel travelling for United Nations peacekeeping missions, airline crew on duty, and sky marshals.

User Development Fee (UDF): This fee is levied at airports as a measure to increase the revenues of the airport operator. The UDF is imposed to bridge any revenue shortfall, ensuring that the airport operator can achieve a fair rate of return on investment. The amount of UDF varies from airport to airport.

Regional Connectivity Fee: This fee is charged on the departure of aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) above 40 tonnes, except for routes in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.

Seat Fee: The rationale behind this charge is to allow airlines to offer more competitive ticket prices to passengers indifferent to seat allocation, thus promoting affordability in air travel. If the pricing for seat assignments is high and a passenger chooses not to select a seat during web check-in, the airline will ultimately assign a seat at no additional cost. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs has asked airlines not to label every seat as paid during the web check-in process. This practice has been criticised for undermining consumer autonomy and influencing decision-making.