• The FTC wants information about how companies personalize prices.
• The Commission said that it sent orders to companies from Uber to Walmart.
• The orders ask about web use habits and other personal information.

The Federal Trade Commission is asking companies from food delivery services to airlines about how they use personalized prices.

The Commission said on Wednesday that it sent orders to the companies asking for details about what kind of personal information they use to determine prices. The orders target a wide range of companies, from retailers Walmart and Target to food delivery services Uber and DoorDash to airlines like Delta and United.

"Consumers deserve to know whether companies use their web surfing habits or other personal data to estimate the highest price they can charge each consumer," said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.

"Workers also deserve to know if their compensation is affected by how companies use their personal data," Ferguson added.

Several companies pushed back against the FTC's claims.

"There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing or plans to use that targets customers with individualized offers based on personal data," a Delta spokesperson said.

"We do not use personal information to set prices, and we never will," Instacart said in a statement.

Walmart and Target previously said they would be transparent about their pricing strategies as more stores start using digital price tags.

A growing number of companies are using dynamic pricing to determine what customers pay for everything from concert tickets to jeans.

Some companies use similar methods to determine how much workers get paid. Uber presents its drivers with potential payouts that aren't based on a per-mile or per-minute rate, for instance, but instead consider factors such as demand.

The FTC's orders ask the companies to submit information about their pricing methodologies, including how they use AI, going back to January 1, 2023. It also asks for research that the companies have done on their pricing strategies, such as A/B tests.

The Commission is also seeking information about how the companies used similar technology to offer workers jobs, according to the orders.

Do you have a story idea about Uber, DoorDash, or Instacart? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• United's CEO thinks Starlink is now the second-most important factor in customers' flight choices.
• Scott Kirby said some passengers are flying on regional airlines to guarantee Starlink access.
• United's speedy Starlink rollout is the airline's "biggest competitive advantage," Kirby said.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby believes passengers are more interested in Starlink than ticket prices when picking which airline to fly with.

"I think Starlink, behind the schedule, is the most important thing for customers to choose an airline now," Kirby told the "Cheeky Pint" podcast on Tuesday's episode.

United is leading the way in the US in installing Starlink, the high-speed WiFi service from Elon Musk's SpaceX. The airline was one of the first to sign up in 2024 and has since equipped almost half of its planes with Starlink.

While Starlink is on all United's regional airplanes — those operated under the United Express brand — it is on less than 3% of its wide-body jets that fly long-haul routes, according to the airline's tracking tool.

Some travelers are choosing flights on these smaller regional airplanes to ensure they can access Starlink, Kirby told "Cheeky Pint."

Kirby said that when passengers told him this, his reaction was: "Holy cow!"

He also recalled booking a recent flight and ensuring he wouldn't be in the air when the Milwaukee Brewers were playing, so he could watch the game on TV. "Whereas if I had known for certain that my flight was going to have Starlink, I would have booked it during the game," he added.

American Airlines has also made a deal with Starlink, but it is not due to begin installing the terminals until early next year. Delta Air Lines has instead signed up for Amazon Leo, a similar service due to launch in 2028, which has attracted considerable criticism from Musk.

Although Musk has called for Delta CEO Ed Bastian to be fired, Kirby disagreed. "He's not going to lose his job over it," he said.

However, United is trying to win over Delta customers who might want Starlink. This month, it ran a promotion offering to match travelers' loyalty status on Delta or American, advertising "the fastest WiFi in the sky."

Thousands of customers signed up within two weeks, United said, and status match applications were up 275% compared to before the campaign.

"We're going to get customers that have been loyal to other airlines that try us for Starlink and stay because the technology is better," Kirby told the podcast.

While he called Starlink "the biggest competitive advantage," he also said it won't last forever.

"Everybody eventually is going to have high-speed, low Earth orbit. It's going to be a must-have."

• I upgraded my Delta flight from the US to Europe to business class for $900.
• The fully-cocooned suite was private, and I loved the amenity kit and lie-flat bed.
• I liked the breakfast, but the dinner left much to be desired.

I took my first trip to Italy this year and decided it was finally time to treat myself to international business class — something I've wanted to experience for years but my bank account wouldn't allow.

My roundtrip flight from Los Angeles to Rome cost 100,000 miles plus $75 in fees. It was going to be a long journey, though — three hours to Minneapolis, then another 10 to Rome — so I told myself I'd upgrade to Delta One if the opportunity came for less than $1,000.

Christmas came early: After checking Delta's website almost daily for months, I finally snagged a business-class seat on the second leg to Rome for $900. I squealed with glee and clicked "purchase" faster than you can say "buongiorno."

I have flown Delta One domestically before, but it was my first long-haul flight in Delta's highest-tier cabin, complete with a sliding door. This time, I wanted to find out whether the upgrade lived up to the hefty price tag attached to international premium.

I loved almost every minute — but the food left me wanting more. Here's why the upgrade was still worth the splurge.

I noticed the difference Delta One promised the moment I arrived at the airport.

Even though my first leg wasn't on Delta One, I was still able to access the exclusive check-in and Delta One lounge at Los Angeles International Airport.

It was exactly the luxury I was looking for. I didn't have to bring my own suitcase inside, as a dedicated handler took it out of my Uber and brought it to the counter for me.

After checking in, I was whisked to a private security line with only two people ahead of me. The entire experience took a grand total of two minutes.

The Delta One lounge was relaxing, but the Sky Club was crowded.

The Delta One lounge is reserved exclusively for Delta One passengers, so it's less crowded than Delta's more accessible Sky Club. The Delta One lounge is only available in Los Angeles, New York-JFK, Boston, and Seattle.

The one in Los Angeles is equipped with a range of amenities to enjoy before a long flight, including a full bar, plenty of food, an outdoor lounge, showers, and massage chairs. The chairs are a cool perk, but I didn't find them very soothing in practice; the ones in New York I like better.

There isn't a Delta One lounge in Minneapolis, but I could access the Delta Sky Club. This lounge was quite different — it was so crowded that I could barely find a seat, very loud, and the food options were limited. It wasn't the luxury I experienced before, so I left early for my gate.

The pod was like a mini hotel room.

The pod was very roomy, with the pièce de résistance being the lie-flat seat. Since I broke my ankle a decade ago, it's always better for me to be able to raise my legs on a long flight, and this was absolutely the way to go.

I appreciated that I could raise the lower portion of the seat while I was eating and then lower it fully into a bed when it was time to sleep.

The amenities mimicked a hotel, and the pre-flight service was top-tier: I enjoyed the small glass of Champagne served before takeoff, which was crisp, light, and refreshing.

The sliding door was game-changing.

After a full day of traveling, I was finally ready to experience the Delta One seat I'd meticulously scored — and it was nothing short of miraculous.

While this wasn't my first time in a Delta One seat, it was my first time in an individual pod with a door, thanks to the plane being one of Delta's newer Airbus A330-900neo aircraft (left photo). Its older Boeing 767s (right photo) and Boeing 757s I've flown on domestically don't have a door in Delta One.

The door was game-changing because it meant I could sleep without being bothered by the people around me. It just needs to be open for takeoff, landing, and meals, but otherwise, you can keep it closed.

The pod's amenities were top-tier.

Inside the pod were multiple amenities to get me through the flight, including a full bottle of water, charging ports, over-ear headphones, and a Missoni-branded pouch packed with flight essentials like comfy socks, an eye mask, hand cream, lip balm, a toothbrush and miniature Marvis toothpaste, and a pack of eye patches.

There was also a pouch with a pillow, comforter, and mattress pad to attach to the seat when it was time to sleep.

Speaking of sleep, wow, did I sleep.

I am a famously bad sleeper, but once I lay down in my pod and shut the door, it was lights out. I slept for a solid seven hours and woke up very rested and ready to experience my first day in Rome, which I know I wouldn't have been able to do in economy class.

For me, the opportunity to truly get a full night's rest, especially with a 17-hour travel day and nine-hour time difference, was game-changing.

There were plenty of TV and movie options.

I wasn't expecting to use the in-flight entertainment system much, since I wanted to spend the majority of my 10 hours asleep. But since the meal took a while to arrive, I watched Dreamgirls to pass the time.

The TV was large, built into the seat, and could be controlled either directly from the TV or via a remote. There were hundreds of movies and TV shows to choose from.

The inflight meal left me wanting more.

While I appreciated the opportunity to select my inflight meal a few days before takeoff, I wasn't overly impressed by any of the options. I chose the salmon, but it was dry and overcooked.

I did like the shrimp appetizer and the tomato bisque, but I didn't feel like I had enough to eat overall since the main course wasn't appetizing. To be honest, it was actually worse than the meal I got in Delta Comfort on the way back, which was surprising.

Additionally, due to significant turbulence, the service was delayed. I had selected the coursed-out option rather than having everything brought out at once, but the flight attendants couldn't do that safely. There's not much you can do about the weather.

However, a choose-your-own-adventure ice cream cart was brought out right after the meal, and I loved that. I went for vanilla ice cream with nuts and cherry compote, which was delightful.

The breakfast was much better.

Thankfully, the breakfast was much better and helped fill me up before I landed. I chose Belgian waffles, which came with a croissant and yogurt with granola and fruit, and gobbled up every single bite.

I landed and felt ready to go without needing any rest or recovery.

Even though I had been traveling for close to 20 hours by the time I reached my hotel in Rome, this experience actually left me feeling revived and rejuvenated. This was the first transatlantic flight I've taken where I didn't need to take a nap as soon as I arrived.

Since I was only in Rome for a day and a half, I was able to go out and explore right after I dropped off my bags and took a quick shower, and make it to my reservation at one of the World's 50 Best bars that evening.

Was it worth the $900 upgrade?

For me, absolutely. I know $900 isn't cheap, but since I originally used miles and this was the full cost of my flights to and from Rome, it was well worth it.

I had a dedicated check-in counter and security line, access to two lounges, meals (albeit some better than others), and a lie-flat seat in a pod with a closing door for a 10-hour flight.

I will say, though, that while I love Delta One, I wouldn't have paid the full price for this experience, which was about $4,000 one way — my fare limit for an experience like this taps out around $1,500.

I guess that means I'll stick to my upgrade strategy: meticulously checking for offers and crossing my fingers that another affordable one comes along.

Delta did not offer a comment.