The news: JetBlue and United Airlines are taking different approaches to AI booking agents.

JetBlue President Marty St. George said the company prefers a direct relationship with customers but that airlines should adapt if consumers’ use of AI booking tools picks up. “We should be responsive to what customers want,” he said at the Skift Commerce Summit, per Reuters.

United is taking a firmer stance, moving to block unauthorized third-party AI agents from booking flights and accessing customer accounts, citing data security and regulatory concerns, per The Wall Street Journal. Agents can still show United’s flight options and prices, but they won’t be able to complete bookings on its website.

Why this matters: The airlines’ approaches reflect, in part, their different positions in the market.

JetBlue is still struggling to find its footing. It hasn’t turned a full-year profit since 2019, and its share price hit a record low last month after a report suggested bankruptcy was possible.

United remains resilient, having reported 10 consecutive profitable quarters. Although it lowered its profit forecast last month amid elevated fuel costs, its Q3 2026 revenues climbed 17.6% YoY as customers kept booking flights despite higher fares.

Both airlines see AI booking agents as a potential threat that could add an unnecessary layer between them and travelers. But JetBlue can’t afford to pass up any incremental bookings those tools might bring, while United is betting its stronger market position and customer loyalty will let it do without them.

United is adopting a similar, but narrower, version of Southwest Airlines’ longtime playbook. Until 2024, Southwest kept its fares off online travel agencies and search aggregators, except for the Chase Travel portal, betting that control over discovery, transactions, and booking economics was worth more than broader reach. United isn’t going that far: By letting agents display its fares but not sell them, it can benefit from AI-driven discovery while continuing to own the transaction and the customer relationship.

The cost concern isn’t unique to United. Even JetBlue’s St. George acknowledged that intermediaries could eventually demand compensation for directing bookings, adding a new expense in an industry where margins are already thin.

Implications for marketers: AI is already shaping travel discovery and purchase decisions. AI referrals to US travel websites increased 119% YoY in July, according to Adobe. But that doesn’t mean airlines and other travel brands need to let agents complete purchases. United’s approach points to a likely middle ground, where agents shape discovery but companies keep control of the transaction and the customer data that comes with it.

Of course, that model only works if the handoff from agent to brand is seamless. Travel marketers should make sure their product and pricing information is accurate and visible wherever agents look, make it easy for customers to move from an agent’s recommendation to booking on the brand’s own site, and give them clear incentives to buy direct, such as loyalty perks.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.