United blocks personal AI agents from booking its flights

United says it won't let personal AI assistants book tickets on the airline, pointing to privacy and regulatory concerns. The company says it has not yet seen many people try to use AI agents for flight bookings, according to The Wall Street Journal.

United worries that agents could expose customer information or make purchases a traveler did not intend. It also says agents could sidestep federal rules that require airlines to have customers attest to things such as not carrying explosives in their bags.

United CEO Scott Kirby said at an event that he does not want to create another middleman. The airline said it could reconsider as third-party agents improve, but wants established protections for travelers first. Other companies, including eBay and several major banks, have also restricted unauthorized agents.

Agents building travel booking flows cannot rely on United to complete a purchase for a user, so they may need to hand off to the customer at checkout. Developers should expect similar restrictions from other businesses that are weighing agent access.