U.S. House Lawmakers Probe Delta Air Lines on Use of AI for Ticket Pricing

A group of U.S. House Democratic lawmakers has formally asked Delta Air Lines’ CEO to clarify whether the airline is using generative artificial intelligence to set ticket prices tailored to individual consumers—even considering personal data like visits to funeral home websites. The inquiry questions whether Delta’s pricing practices could amount to “surveillance-based price discrimination.”

Delta responded that it does not now—and has no plans to—use systems that set fares or offers based on personal data. The company emphasised that its revenue-management systems continue to rely on broader market factors such as demand, fuel costs and competition. Nonetheless, lawmakers say the airline has not adequately disclosed what safeguards are in place to prevent misuse of AI in pricing.

Earlier this year, Delta revealed plans to deploy AI-based pricing technology across approximately 20 % of its domestic network in partnership with an AI firm named Fetcherr. The scale and scope of the rollout have raised concern among regulators and consumer-rights advocates about transparency and fairness.

Analysis / Impact:
The investigation into Delta highlights a growing regulatory focus on how artificial intelligence is used in consumer pricing—and the question of whether personalised pricing based on individual data may cross ethical or legal lines.

For airlines and other service-industries, this scrutiny signals that deploying AI for dynamic pricing will likely require rigorous data-governance frameworks and transparent disclosures. Failure to adequately handle these issues could invite regulatory action or damage consumer trust.

For Delta in particular, the outcome may shape its AI-pricing strategy going forward. If the probe leads to stricter regulation or reputational harm, the airline may need to scale back or reshape its AI initiatives. On the flip side, companies that proactively emphasise fairness and transparency in AI-driven pricing could gain consumer confidence and competitive advantage.