United Airlines Bans Artificial Intelligence Agents from Booking Flights

United Airlines has decided to prevent personal artificial intelligence assistants from booking flight tickets, stopping these tools from executing transactions through its platform.

United Airlines announced that it will not permit personal artificial intelligence assistants to book tickets on its platform due to privacy, regulatory concerns, and the risk of customer information exposure. Company CEO Scott Kirby stated at an event on Tuesday that they do not wish to create a new intermediary.

Consistent with observations from other businesses like DoorDash, the company reported that not many people have attempted to use AI agents to book flights so far. However, there are concerns that these agents could leak customer information, make unauthorized purchases, or bypass federal regulations—such as certifying that passengers do not have explosives in their luggage.

Agents will still be able to display United flights for users, but they will not be able to complete transaction-related steps. This decision could limit the use cases for new personal artificial intelligence assistants like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.

Other sectors in the market are also evaluating whether to allow artificial intelligence agents to transact on their sites. While eBay has been observed blocking agents from navigating the site, some major banks have also placed restrictions on such tools. United stated that it could reevaluate its decision in light of future developments and take steps once protections are established.