United Says AI Agents Can’t Book Flights—For Now
United Says AI Agents Can’t Book Flights—For Now
United Airlines is drawing a line between letting AI agents find a flight and letting them buy one. The airline says third-party assistants can’t access customer accounts or complete bookings, citing the risk of exposing personal information, making unintended purchases and bypassing rules that require passengers to provide information themselves. Among them: attesting that checked bags contain no explosives.
The restriction comes as major technology companies race to turn AI tools from chatbots into assistants that can complete tasks such as shopping and booking reservations. United, by contrast, says passengers must remain involved in sensitive transactions. CEO Scott Kirby put it bluntly at an event on Tuesday: “To be honest, I don’t want to create another middleman.” The company said it could reconsider as agents advance, but wants protections in place before they interact directly with accounts or bookings.
United’s caution sits alongside a fast-growing market for AI agents in less regulated tasks. Nectar, an AI marketing company, announced a tool that can identify creators, contact them and help manage brand partnerships—work it says can otherwise consume weeks of manual effort. The contrast captures the broader divide: businesses are embracing automation where they see efficiency gains, but United argues that booking air travel carries risks that require a human in the loop.
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