Anyone hoping to have an AI agent book a holiday flight on United will have to do it the old-fashioned way.
United Airlines said Wednesday that it won’t allow AI agents to book flights for customers, according to The Wall Street Journal. CEO Scott Kirby framed the decision as a privacy and security issue, and also as a question of who owns the customer relationship. In his view, AI agents are middlemen that keep the airline from dealing with its travelers directly. AI agents may also be unable to meet FAA requirements, such as confirming that bags don’t contain explosives.
United says AI agents haven’t driven many bookings so far, so the ban is mostly about where air travel is headed. It also sets United apart from Delta and American, which have both signaled that agents can book flights under certain circumstances.
Agents such as Muse and Dots can still browse United’s website to compare fares and lay out options for users to choose from. They just can’t complete the purchase.
Anyone hoping to have an AI agent book a holiday flight on United will have to do it the old-fashioned way.
United Airlines said Wednesday that it won’t allow AI agents to book flights for customers, according to The Wall Street Journal. CEO Scott Kirby framed the decision as a privacy and security issue, and also as a question of who owns the customer relationship. In his view, AI agents are middlemen that keep the airline from dealing with its travelers directly. AI agents may also be unable to meet FAA requirements, such as confirming that bags don’t contain explosives.
United says AI agents haven’t driven many bookings so far, so the ban is mostly about where air travel is headed. It also sets United apart from Delta and American, which have both signaled that agents can book flights under certain circumstances.
Agents such as Muse and Dots can still browse United’s website to compare fares and lay out options for users to choose from. They just can’t complete the purchase.