United Airlines is restricting how customers can use AI to book their flights, the company announced on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The airline stated that protecting travelers’ privacy and data was the reason for the decision.

In a statement, United said that sharing account credentials with “personal, third-party AI assistants can expose sensitive information, and actions taken by these tools may result in unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles.”

It also noted that automated AI actions may violate Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation regulations, citing, for example, the requirement that travelers acknowledge their bags do not contain “banned substances like explosives” — something an AI agent cannot legally confirm.

“As a result, United is taking steps to restrict access — directly within our digital platforms and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators — to prohibit use by unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents or assistants,” the airline said.

United also updated its Digital Trust Center to include further details on how travelers should and should not use AI agents when planning travel. The airline told Travel Weekly it will honor any bookings made with an AI agent before Nov. 11.

Are other airlines banning AI agents?

United isn’t the only airline responding to the uptick in AI agent flight bookings.

Other airlines, however, are aware that customers are using these agents to book their flights. JetBlue president Marty St. George said on Nov. 11 that he’s aware customers are booking with AI agents and that, while it may lead to additional costs for the airline, he believes it should adapt, Reuters reported.

Delta’s policy states that while customers may use third-party agents if they so choose, they remain responsible for what the AI agent does. So, if your AI agent books you on a nonrefundable trip to Australia when you actually intended to book a flight to Austria — well, you’re on your own to sort out the mess. And Delta also has the right to block or reject agents or transactions on its website.

A representative for American Airlines told Fast Company that while some AI tools can facilitate the purchase of American Airlines tickets, the airline actively monitors traffic across their website and app, and “can investigate, manage or block automated traffic when necessary to protect our customers and their experience.”

In October, Southwest launched a ChatGPT plug-in that helps customers shop for flights, though they must complete booking themselves on the Southwest website.

Why you should be careful booking travel with an AI agent — even if you’re allowed

Booking a flight with AI may seem like a way to offload a task, or even potentially save money if an AI agent is able to comb through the lowest-priced flights for your route more efficiently than you can. However, consumer advocates tell Yahoo Travel that it’s best to avoid booking a flight with an AI agent, regardless of the airline.

“AI agents still make mistakes,” Christopher Elliott, a consumer advocate and founder of The Elliott Report, tells Yahoo Travel. “They can book the wrong dates or misread a fare rule. When that happens, the airline will tell you the error is yours, and good luck getting a refund from a bot.”

But Elliott says he’s worried it will be hard for airlines to enforce this rule. “United’s updated contract of carriage lets it cancel a reservation made or changed by an AI agent. A passenger who books through a travel site that uses one of these tools, possibly without knowing it, could get to the airport and find no seat. That’s a much bigger risk than any booking error a bot is likely to make.”

If you don’t want to make a reservation yourself, Michelle Couch-Friedman, founder of consumer advocacy website and organization Consumer Rescue, tells Yahoo Travel it’s best to rely on a travel adviser instead. “Professional travel advisers typically carry errors and omissions insurance to protect against mistakes — AI does not,” she says.

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