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Incident · 2026 · Airline

United’s chatbot says a $200 travel credit lasts five years, not one

In September 2026, NBC Chicago reported that a United Airlines chatbot told customer Alison Gil her $200 TravelBank credit “stays active for 5 years from the date it’s deposited.” United later said it would expire on September 27, 2026. After NBC 5 Responds contacted the airline, United admitted the error and issued a $200 travel certificate.

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What happened

Gil asked a United chatbot how long she had to use a $200 travel credit. The bot replied that it “stays active for 5 years from the date it’s deposited.”

A few weeks later, United emailed her that the credit would expire on September 27, 2026. A representative told her the bot was wrong and that the one-year limit could not be changed.

United told NBC Chicago that expiry varies with how the funds were received, and that it warns customers chatbot information may not always be complete or relevant.

What happened next

After NBC 5 Responds contacted United, the airline said its “AI chatbot provided this customer with the wrong information for her situation” and sent Gil a $200 electronic travel certificate.

What would have stopped it

  1. Answer credit and refund terms from the customer’s own record (issue date, source of funds, expiry) through a tool call, not from general model knowledge.
  2. When no record-level answer is available, say so and link the governing terms instead of stating a duration.
  3. Log chatbot statements about money terms on the customer record so human staff can honor or correct them, instead of telling the customer nothing can change.

Attack families

Sources

  1. NBC Chicago: AI chatbots are taking over customer service. But how often are they wrong?
  2. Hoodline: United Airlines chatbot botches travel credit rule

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