United Airlines Bans AI Agents From Booking Flights

United Airlines is banning AI agents from booking, changing or servicing tickets, CBS News reports. The carrier updated its contract of carriage on Wednesday to prohibit the use of AI agents to "make, modify or service a ticket" or to buy any service or product.

United said outside AI assistants could expose sensitive information and make unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles. It also said that using an agent to check in could violate federal rules that require travelers to confirm their bags hold no banned items.

The ban reaches beyond United's own website and app. View from the Wing reports that it covers agents working through travel agencies and other intermediaries, applies even when a customer supervises or approves what the software does, and lets United cancel reservations made by such agents. Agents can still show United flights and prices, as long as the customer completes the purchase.

None of the other big US carriers has followed so far. Delta and American told Fast Company that some AI tools still have booking access on their systems while they evaluate the technology, and Southwest launched a ChatGPT plugin for bookings last month.