Originally reported November 12, 2026.
United Airlines said on November 11 that it was taking steps to restrict unauthorized third-party personal AI agents and assistants from using its services. The measures cover direct access to United’s digital platforms and indirect access through travel agencies and information aggregators. The airline also said it would revise its booking, ticketing and distribution policies.
United said customers who share account credentials with AI assistants could expose sensitive information. It warned that tools acting on a customer’s behalf might buy products or services, change account details or use frequent-flyer miles without the customer’s knowledge.
The airline also raised a regulatory concern. According to United, automated check-in by an AI agent might not satisfy requirements for a person to confirm that their baggage contains no explosives or other prohibited items. That is the airline’s stated concern, not a finding that a particular AI tool has violated a rule.
The move also highlights a commercial question for airlines: whether AI booking tools will become another intermediary between them and their customers. An Atmosphere Research Group analyst cited in the original report said flight searches impose costs on airlines and suggested United did not want another potentially powerful intermediary. JetBlue president Marty St. George said he understood airlines’ caution about intermediaries that might eventually charge for bookings, while adding that airlines should adapt if customers embrace AI booking tools.
Other travel companies have taken different approaches. The original report noted that Southwest Airlines had made flight information available to ChatGPT users, who could then visit the airline’s website.
