US airline United Airlines will block third-party AI agents from booking flights on behalf of passengers. The restrictions will apply to the airline’s official website, travel agencies, and flight aggregators,
The company says the decision stems from concerns about potential leaks of sensitive information, unintended purchases, changes to reservations, and unauthorized use of MileagePlus reward miles. In effect, United is trying to avoid reputational risks similar to those that arose when Meta’s Muse model accidentally Exposed a user home address online
Moreover, the use of AI agents conflicts with US regulatory requirements. For example, during check-in, passengers must personally confirm that their baggage does not contain prohibited items, including explosives.
The restrictions will cover both United Airlines’ own platforms and bookings made through third-party services. The company will also update its ticket sales and distribution policies. However, AI assistants will still be able to search for United flights and show users the available options.
United, one of the largest airlines in the US and worldwide, is thus joining a growing list of businesses that prohibit AI agents from taking direct actions on their platforms. Amazon has made a similar decision, as have Several US banks.
Judging by the latest figures, “agentic commerce” has yet to gain significant traction among ordinary users. During a recent earnings report, Uber revealed that it handled 320 million rides and deliveries during Halloween week, one of its busiest periods of the year. Of those, AI agents initiated just 500 Uber Eats orders and only four rides.
