THE CRUNCH
United Airlines says it will restrict AI agents from booking flights and managing reservations on their users' behalf, citing cybersecurity risks and the potential to undermine federal regulations. The airline said it is taking steps to block unauthorised third-party personal AI assistants both directly on its digital platforms and indirectly through travel agencies and aggregators, including updates to its booking, ticketing and distribution policies.
The airline warns that sharing account credentials with personal third-party AI assistants can expose sensitive information, and that actions taken by such tools may lead to unintended purchases, account changes, or use of MileagePlus miles. It also flags a compliance concern: federal aviation rules require a human to complete flight check-ins, including acknowledging that their bags contain no banned substances.
United is the latest large American company to push back against customers using AI agents and autonomous assistants on its systems. Airlines and banks face a growing problem telling real customers apart from AI systems acting for them, particularly when users hand over their logins. Last week, Bank of America urged customers not to share their passwords with their AI assistants, a parallel move that underscores how widely the concern has spread.