United Airlines bans AI agents from booking flights on behalf of travelers

United Airlines has announced it will prohibit artificial intelligence agents from making flight reservations on behalf of passengers, citing security concerns and the potential for violating federal regulations. The carrier warns that sharing account credentials with third-party AI assistants could expose sensitive data and lead to unintended purchases or account changes.

Additionally, using an AI agent to check in for a flight could potentially breach federal rules requiring in-person verification of baggage contents. To enforce the new policy, United will limit access to its digital platforms and that of travel agencies and aggregators. The move suggests the company aims to maintain control over the customer booking process, according to Henry Harteveldt, an aviation analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

United's decision comes as consumers increasingly rely on AI agents like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's dots for tasks such as researching products and making purchases. The airline argues that flight searches can be costly for airlines and wants to avoid the expenses associated with AI bot searches. While other airlines, such as Southwest, have made their flight inventory accessible to AI users, United will continue to allow bookings through travel aggregators like Kayak, Hopper, and Google Flights.

However, Harteveldt notes that by blocking AI agents, United may not make it easier for consumers to find fares through these platforms.