AI assistants can help you check flight schedules and compare prices, but if you want them to book a flight for you on United Airlines, you can't do that yet. Both USA TODAY and Air Data News reported on this. On November 11th, United Airlines announced that it would restrict third-party AI agents from representing passengers in completing transactions such as booking flights through its sales channels, citing two reasons: passenger data security and compliance with federal aviation regulations. AI assistants can still display United Airlines' flights and fares, but without authorization, they cannot directly complete bookings within the airline's system.
The restrictions are being applied quite broadly. According to Air Data News, the new rules apply to AI agents that directly access United Airlines’ website and app without authorization, and also cover tools that access the platform indirectly through travel agencies or ticket aggregation platforms. United Airlines is updating its booking, ticketing, and distribution policies to enforce these rules.
According to the Wall Street Journal, these tools can still display United Airlines’ flights and prices; the issue is that they are blocked from “completing bookings within the airline’s system without authorization.” The airline has not announced a timeline for when the new rules will be fully implemented, and the changes will be rolled out gradually through updated policies. Travel Weekly also mentioned that United Airlines has not yet reached authorization agreements with any third-party AI agents, but orders completed by these tools before November 11 will be honored. The airline also plans to update its “Digital Trust Center” to clearly outline the restrictions and provide guidance for passengers who experience errors caused by AI agents.
In a statement, United Airlines outlined its concerns in detail. Providing payment information or login credentials to AI agents could expose sensitive data, and the use of these tools could lead to “unintended purchases, account changes, or the unauthorized use of MileagePlus miles.”
Compliance presents a more challenging issue. Airlines point out that automated AI operations may violate current regulations set by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). For example, during the check-in process, passengers are required to confirm that their luggage does not contain explosives or other prohibited items. If an agent confirms this on their behalf, it could create regulatory problems. USA TODAY contacted the FAA and DOT for comment, but both declined to comment at this time.
The rapid expansion of personal AI agents is indeed remarkable. According to TechCrunch, Meta's Muse agent, launched less than two months ago, surpassed 10 million users in October. However, incidents of misuse have also emerged, with Engadget reporting that Muse once leaked a user's address online. Companies such as JPMorgan Chase and Amazon had previously restricted access for AI agents, and several banks followed suit in October.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has taken a rather direct stance. According to the Wall Street Journal, he stated at an event on November 10th, "To be frank, I don't want to create another middleman." However, not all airlines are taking defensive measures; Southwest Airlines previously launched a plugin that allows users to book flights through ChatGPT. The market's reaction has also been interesting, with Expedia and Booking seeing their stock prices rise after the announcement, according to Investing.com.
The actual demand for AI-powered commercial services may be much lower than imagined. During its third-quarter earnings call, Uber revealed that during the week of Halloween, it completed 320 million ride and delivery orders, but AI agents only generated 500 food delivery orders and 4 ride requests.
For now, the impact is minimal. Users can still check flight schedules and compare prices as usual, but the final booking step will need to be completed through United Airlines' own channels or travel agencies. United Airlines also stated that it will continue to evaluate how third-party AI tools interact with its services, and it is not ruling out the possibility of authorizing specific platforms in the future. Until clearer answers are provided regarding passenger data protection and regulatory requirements, the decision-making process for booking flights will remain with humans.