● MEDIUM▲ ALLEGED
Airline chatbot is reported to have promised refund terms that diverged from posted policy
Reported allegations — unverified
The events described below are based on reporting from the cited sources. No court ruling or regulator finding has been issued. Companies named are presumed not to have admitted liability unless explicitly stated.
- Date of incident
- May 14, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- US-NY
- Sources
- 3 cited
- Last verified
- May 17, 2026
Summary
According to reporting in The Verge and a subsequent statement from a consumer-protection nonprofit, a major US-based airline's customer-service chatbot allegedly provided refund terms to multiple travelers that diverged from the carrier's published fare rules. A class-action complaint filed in the Southern District of New York alleges violation of state consumer-protection law. No court ruling has been issued.
What is reported
Between February and May 2026, travelers allegedly received chatbot responses promising refunds inconsistent with the airline's posted fare rules.
Status & legal posture
A complaint was filed on May 12, 2026 in the Southern District of New York. The airline has not filed a responsive pleading.
Sources
- 01
- 02
- 03AI Incident Database — AIID incident #1142secondary5/15/2026
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