United Airlines bans AI agents from booking flights for travelers

United said on Wednesday that it is blocking AI agents from booking flights for customers. The airline pointed to security concerns, saying that sharing account credentials, including payment details, with third-party AI assistants could expose sensitive information and lead to unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles. It also said agent-driven tasks such as checking in for a flight could conflict with federal rules, including requirements that travelers confirm in person that their luggage contains no banned substances.

United will restrict access directly on its digital platforms and indirectly through travel agencies and aggregators, and it is updating its booking and ticketing policies to match. Henry Harteveldt, an aviation analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, said the move suggests United wants to keep control of the booking process and avoid the costs of heavy automated flight searches. He added that United fares should stay easy to find through other channels.

Other airlines are taking a different approach. Southwest has made its flight inventory viewable to ChatGPT users, who can reach the airline's website through the AI app. Harteveldt said United fares will remain bookable through Kayak, Hopper and Google Flights, but blocking AI bots could also make United fares harder to find.

Agents that search for, book or check in United passengers will be refused on United's own channels and through partner agencies, so builders should not plan on that route. Flows that store traveler credentials to act on an airline account now carry policy and regulatory risk. Aggregator integrations remain the practical way to reach United fares, though their own terms on agent access should be checked.