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JetBlue president says airlines should follow customers on AI booking tools
CNA, carrying a Reuters report, said JetBlue President Marty St. George told a New York conference that carriers should meet customers if they prefer AI booking agents, while noting cost worries after United restricted bots.
Based on reporting by CNA
Wire reporting: (Reuters, via CNA)
JetBlue Airways President Marty St. George said Wednesday that airlines should adapt if travelers prefer artificial intelligence tools that plan and book trips, according to Channel NewsAsia, which carried a Reuters report from the Skift Commerce Summit in New York1.
The comments followed United Airlines' decision to restrict AI bots' access to its digital platforms, which United tied to data-security risks if customers share account credentials with third-party assistants, the CNA report said1.
St. George said he understood why some carriers are wary of AI travel intermediaries and that he worries such firms could later seek payment for sending bookings, adding a cost in an industry that still struggles to make money, according to the report1. CNA said JetBlue has about $8.4 billion in debt and finance-lease obligations and has not posted an annual profit since 20191.
He also said JetBlue prefers selling directly because it can market more of its products, and compared AI tools to online travel agencies that he described as a paid distribution channel, unlike the airline's own website1. He said the carrier should still meet customers if they prefer the new tools1.
