United Airlines bans AI agents from booking flights: the wall stands in front of the agent economy

Boarding gate closed to robots. As of Wednesday, November 11, United Airlines prohibits AI agents from purchasing, changing or managing a ticket on behalf of a traveler. The Chicago company cites data security and federal regulations. His boss, Scott Kirby, admits above all that he does not want one more intermediary.

After the JPMorgan cut on October 13, then the framework published by the American banking regulator on November 4, it is the turn of air transport. The camp of those who slam the door in the face of autonomous assistants now brings together banks, distributors and a major airline.

United Airlines: what AI agents are no longer allowed to do

The text leaves no room for doubt. Revised on November 11, rule 6.J.6 of the contract of carriage bans “the use of AI agents to issue, modify or manage a ticket, and/or to purchase any service or product”.

The definition casts a wide net. It doesn't matter whether a human supervises the agent or not: it targets assistants integrated into social networks and search engines, browsers powered by AI, but also agents who go through a travel agency.

In the event of a violation, United may cancel the reservation without notice. Tickets taken by an agent before November 11, however, remain honored. Agents also retain the right to search and display prices. However, the final click must come from a human.

On paper, United puts forward common sense arguments. First, credentials shared with third parties expose accounts. Then, an agent can trigger unwanted purchases or changes. Finally, certain regulatory obligations, such as the declaration of hazardous materials, remain beyond the scope of software.

Kirby was more direct at an event in Chicago, reported by the Wall Street Journal. “To be honest, I don’t want to create another intermediary,” he said.

The transport contract simply prohibits without justifying. In its press release cited by Fast Company, the company "encourages others to consider measures that preserve the data and security of their customers." For its part, Wall Street sulked: the stock fell 1.8% on Wednesday, while the S&P 500 gained 1.3%.

Delta, American, Southwest: the American sky is divided

The competitors do not follow in rank. Delta says it accepts “certain interactions with AI assistants where they can be properly authenticated.” The company also pushes its own assistant, Delta Concierge, into its application.

American monitors automated traffic and reserves the right to block it. However, she recognizes that “certain AI tools are capable of facilitating the purchase of tickets”.

Southwest even took the opposite route in October. Its new ChatGPT extension allows you to search for flights, then send you to the reservation.

The real subject is elsewhere. According to Hopper, a third of American adults have already used generative AI to plan a trip. At the same time, domestic Thanksgiving prices jumped 31% year-over-year. But whoever has the last click has the margin, and United refuses to cede it to OpenAI or Google.

The company is not the only one to lock down. Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agent in September, then Walmart imposed its terms on third-party agents on October 21. It must be said that AI agents already know how to grant themselves rights that have not been given to them, which does not help their cause.

Next to have to choose their side: hotels, for which Google AI Mode already knows how to complete reservations.