United Airlines bans AI agents from booking flights on behalf of travelers

United Airlines said it is banning third-party personal AI agents from making flight reservations on behalf of travelers, citing security risks from sharing account credentials and the possibility that such actions could violate federal rules, including requirements that travelers verify in person that their luggage contains no banned substances. The carrier said it is restricting access directly within its digital platforms and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators, and is updating its booking and ticketing policies to reflect the new rule. Analyst Henry Harteveldt said United wants to retain control over the booking process and avoid the expense of a surge in AI bot flight searches, while noting fares will remain bookable through aggregators such as Kayak, Hopper and Google Flights.