Key facts
- St. George said airlines should adapt if customers embrace AI-based booking tools.
- United said sharing account credentials with third-party AI assistants could expose sensitive information.
- St. George said intermediaries could seek compensation for directing bookings, a new cost for airlines.
JetBlue Airways President Marty St. George said at the Skift Commerce Summit in New York on Wednesday that he understands why airlines may be wary of artificial intelligence-powered travel intermediaries, after United Airlines said it would restrict AI bots' access to its digital platforms.
United cited data security concerns for blocking the bots. St. George said he fears intermediaries could eventually seek compensation for directing bookings, creating a new cost for airlines in an industry where profitability remains elusive.
"I can see why the concept of intermediary may be intimidating for a lot of people," St. George said, adding that the AI industry is likely to attract "a trillion dollars of capital" and "someone's going to have to pay for that." He added: "That's money we're not spending today. And again, unprofitable company, unprofitable industry, that's intimidating."
JetBlue, which has about $8.4 billion in debt and finance lease obligations, has not posted an annual profit since 2019, according to the report.
United said customers who share account credentials with third-party AI assistants could expose sensitive information and risk unintended purchases, account modifications or unauthorized use of frequent-flyer miles.
Despite those concerns, St. George said airlines should adapt if customers embrace AI-based booking tools. "We should be responsible for what customers want," he said. "If customers really think that's a better way to do it, we need to figure out how to meet them where they are."
St. George said JetBlue prefers direct customer relationships because they let the carrier market its full range of products. He compared AI intermediaries with online travel agencies, which he described as another distribution channel that carries costs for airlines and is not always beneficial. "It's a channel that has a cost, which jetblue.com does not," he said.