United Airlines is banning personal AI assistants from booking and modifying tickets on its system, a change that could see other airlines follow suit.
The Chicago-based carrier updated its contract of carriage on Wednesday, prohibiting the use of AI agents to “make, modify or service a ticket, and/or purchase any service or product.”
In its statement, the airline cited concerns that third-party AI assistants can expose passengers’ sensitive information, and that actions taken by these tools may result in unintended purchases or account changes. United also noted that automated AI actions could potentially violate Federal Aviation Administration or Department of Transportation regulations—noting, for example, that flight check-in requires passengers to acknowledge that their bags don’t contain any banned items.
The carrier may be taking its cue from other industries as it cited that corporate leaders of banks and retail companies have taken similar actions regarding AI agents, stating, “We encourage others to consider measures that preserve the data and security of their customers and strengthen safety.”
As is often the case for the industry, other airlines may follow United’s lead, though none of the other major U.S. carriers have similarly banned AI agents—yet. Just last month, Southwest Airlines announced a plugin partnership with ChatGPT to “offer a simpler, more direct path from inspiration and discovery to booking options” with the airline.
Here’s how the other major carriers are approaching AI tools for booking.
DELTA AND AMERICAN: ‘EVALUATING’ AI
United is one of the three largest carriers serving the U.S., along with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. Delta and American both indicated to Fast Company that some AI tools have booking privileges on their systems, though they continue to evaluate the landscape.
“Some AI tools are able to facilitate the purchase of American Airlines tickets,” a company spokesperson said. “At the same time, protecting our customers and their experience remains our priority. We actively monitor traffic across our website and app, and can investigate, manage, or block automated traffic when necessary to protect our customers and their experience.”
A spokesperson for Delta told Fast Company that if an AI tool can authenticate a passenger’s credentials, then it can complete a booking on their behalf, but noted that even if passengers use AI tools, they’re ultimately responsible for overseeing any actions and authorizing any transactions taken by these assistants on their behalf.
“We currently support certain interactions with AI assistants when they can be appropriately authenticated, while maintaining additional safeguards for sensitive transactions,” the company said in a statement to Fast Company. “We’re continuing to evaluate how new technology, including external AI agents, could enhance the way customers engage with Delta, always with security and the customer experience in mind.”
Representatives for Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, and Frontier airlines didn’t immediately respond to Fast Company’s requests for comment.
Shares of United fell 1.8% on Wednesday, while the broader S&P 500 Index rose 1.3%.
