United Airlines said it is banning artificial intelligence agents from making flight reservations on behalf of travelers, citing security risks and the possibility that such actions could violate federal regulations. The policy targets AI tools such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's dots, which consumers increasingly use to complete tasks ranging from researching products to making purchases. To book a flight through an AI agent, the tool requires access to a customer's personal information, including payment credentials and account login details.
United said it has concerns about sharing account information with third-party AI assistants, warning that doing so could expose sensitive data and lead to unintended purchases, account changes, or unauthorized use of MileagePlus miles. The airline also flagged potential legal problems with using AI agents for tasks such as flight check-ins, which may violate federal regulations that require travelers to verify in person that their luggage does not contain banned substances. United said it is updating its booking and ticketing policies to restrict access to unauthorized AI agents and assistants, both directly within its digital platforms and indirectly through travel agencies and aggregators.
Henry Harteveldt, an aviation analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News that United's move reflects the airline's desire to control the customer booking process and avoid having yet another intermediary between itself and travelers. Flight searches generate costs for airlines, and Harteveldt said United likely wants to prevent the expense associated with increased AI bot searches on its website. Other carriers are taking contrasting approaches, with Southwest making its flight inventory viewable to ChatGPT users who access the airline's website through the AI app.
United fares will remain bookable through established flight aggregators such as Kayak, Hopper and Google Flights, according to Harteveldt. However, he said the policy means United will not make it easier for consumers using AI agents to find its fares compared with competing airlines. For savers and borrowers using travel finance options, the restriction means AI agents cannot help automate flight bookings that might be funded through credit or savings, potentially limiting how some consumers manage travel expenses.