Senators Seek Answers on Delta AI Ticket Pricing Expansion

Three Democratic senators—Ruben Gallego, Mark Warner, and Richard Blumenthal—have raised serious concerns about Delta Air Lines' plans to use artificial intelligence to set individualized ticket prices. They argue that this AI-driven pricing could lead to fare increases targeting each consumer's personal 'pain point,' potentially exploiting data privacy and increasing costs for American families already facing financial strain. Delta has stated that it does not use or plan to use fare products targeting customers based on personal information, despite confirming that about 3% of domestic ticket prices are currently set by AI, with plans to expand this to 20% by the end of 2025. The senators highlighted a lack of transparency regarding what data Delta and its AI partner Fetcherr collect and how the AI algorithms are trained, warning of possible discriminatory pricing practices. Delta’s President Glen William Hauenstein emphasized a cautious rollout strategy while praising the transformative potential of AI in pricing strategies. The lawmakers have formally requested detailed disclosures from Delta about data inputs, safeguards, and the scope of AI pricing implementation to ensure consumer protections.