United Airlines will block AI agents from booking its flights

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One major airline wants humans in charge of buying tickets. Engadget reports that United is restricting AI agents from booking flights on its website, through third party travel agencies and through flight aggregators

United warns that giving an agent payment details or login information could lead to unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles. It also argues that only a human can confirm at check in that a bag contains no explosives

Chief executive Scott Kirby said he does not want to create another middleman. Southwest has taken the opposite approach and launched a ChatGPT booking plugin

Uber offers some perspective on how often agents are used. During Halloween week it handled 320 million trips and deliveries, of which AI agents placed only 500 Uber Eats orders and four rides

Airlines have spent years building direct relationships with customers, so wariness of a new middleman is understandable. Some of United's concerns about mistakes with miles and payments are fair. Southwest's opposite choice means travellers will be able to compare both approaches

Would you let an AI agent book your flights? And is United right to restrict them?

United is restricting AI agents from booking flights - Engadgetwww.engadget.com