United Airlines wants you to check in, not your chatbot

United Airlines has implemented new restrictions on unauthorized third-party AI agents, warning they could lead to unintended purchases, data leaks, or bypassing human checks. The airline has extended these restrictions to its digital platforms and indirect access through travel agencies and aggregators. Changes to booking, ticketing, and distribution policies have been made by United Airlines.

Automated actions could violate aviation regulations, especially during check-in, where human acknowledgment is required to ensure bags do not contain banned substances. The airline is also concerned about the risk of sensitive information exposure and unintended actions when account credentials are shared with personal, third-party AI assistants.

United Airlines prefers customers to use its own app instead of relying on third-party assistants. Similar restrictions have been put in place by major US and UK banks, blocking third-party AI agents from operating within customer accounts. United Airlines aims to implement physical biometric confirmation or detect signs of automated browser driving to enforce these restrictions.

Amazon has also taken action against unauthorized AI agents, blocking Meta's Muse. United Airlines has not yet provided further details on its implementation plans.