United Airlines announced on November 11, 2026 that it is taking steps to stop unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents and assistants from using its digital platforms. In a newsroom release titled "United Restricts Access for Third-Party AI Agents," the carrier said the restrictions apply directly inside its own app and website and indirectly through travel agencies and aggregators, and that the work includes updates to its booking, ticketing and distribution policies.
United gave three reasons. First, it said that sharing account credentials with third-party AI assistants can expose sensitive information. Second, it said actions taken by such tools may lead to unintended purchases, account changes or use of MileagePlus miles. Third, it said automated actions could violate Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Transportation rules. As its example, United pointed to flight check-in, which requires a human to acknowledge that bags do not contain banned substances such as explosives.
The company's Digital Trust Center help page adds practical detail. According to United, AI tools can still be used to research and plan trips as long as they do not access united.com or the United app, and assistive technology for customers with disabilities is not affected. United says it does not work with any third-party AI agents yet, and that bookings an agent made before November 11, 2026 will not be canceled, although it recommends that customers review their recent travel plans.
The Verge's Lauren Feiner reported that United told The Wall Street Journal it has not yet seen many people try to book flights through AI agents, which matches what other businesses such as Doordash have observed. Agents can still display United flights, but they cannot complete the purchase for the traveler. The Verge quoted United CEO Scott Kirby, as relayed by the Journal from an event on Tuesday, saying he does not want to create another middleman. The Verge noted that the decision, and others like it, could limit the usefulness of newer personal assistants such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.
CNBC placed the move in a wider split in how companies treat agents. It reported that Amazon has blocked Meta's Muse agent while Walmart has partnered with it, and that online travel firms Expedia and Booking are working with OpenAI. The Verge added that eBay appeared to block agents from browsing and that several major banks have also restricted them. In its release, United said corporate leaders in banking and retail have taken similar actions and encouraged others to consider comparable measures.
United did not frame the policy as permanent. It said that as personal AI assistants evolve it will keep evaluating how they interact with its services, and its help page says it wants standardized, secure integrations with privacy, security, authorization and accountability protections in place first. For builders of travel agents, the practical message is that open-ended agent access to airline accounts is closing, while sanctioned integrations and partnerships remain the likely route.