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United Airlines restricts customers' AI agents from booking

By Ali Peivandizadeh, business growth and AI implementation specialist.

Published Nov 14, 2026 · Last checked Nov 14, 2026 · Last changed Nov 14, 2026

The short version

United Airlines said it will restrict third-party personal AI agents from acting on its platforms, and it is the first US airline to say so.

For: Any business that takes bookings or orders online. All sizes. Owner or operations lead.

The facts

Skift reported the decision on Nov 11, 2026.
United said it wants to "prohibit use by unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents or assistants."
The restriction covers United's own digital platforms and access through online travel agencies and aggregators.
United gave three reasons. Shared account passwords can expose personal data. An agent can make a purchase or a change the customer did not intend. Some steps need a person.
It named check-in as one such step, where a person must confirm what is in the bags.
The Wall Street Journal quoted United's chief executive: "I don't want to create another middleman."
Skift notes that Southwest took the opposite approach and launched a flight search tool inside ChatGPT.

A large company has now set a written rule on whether a customer's AI agent may act on its website. Two airlines made opposite choices.