Shares in Expedia Group Inc and Booking Holdings Inc rose on Wednesday after United Airlines announced plans to block personal artificial intelligence (AI) assistants from accessing its systems to make flight reservations.
Expedia shares gained as much as 3.1 per cent, while Booking Holdings rose by up to 1.1 per cent.
United Airlines said the decision was driven by concerns over customer data security and potential regulatory violations associated with automated AI tools.
The airline warned that allowing third-party AI assistants to access its booking platform could expose sensitive customer information and result in unintended purchases or changes to customer accounts.
It also raised concerns that automated AI actions could breach Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department regulations governing the information airlines are required to provide to customers.
“Protecting our customers’ data and accounts is a priority for United,” the airline said.
United cautioned customers against sharing their account credentials with third-party AI assistants, warning that doing so could expose personal information and lead to unauthorised purchases, account changes or the use of MileagePlus miles.
The airline also highlighted limitations involving flight check-in procedures, noting that passengers must personally acknowledge that their checked baggage does not contain prohibited substances, including explosives, a requirement automated AI tools cannot fulfil.
United said it would enforce the restrictions both directly through its digital platforms and indirectly through travel agencies and aggregators.
The airline added that corporate leaders in the banking and retail industries had adopted similar measures to restrict AI agents from accessing their systems.
