Brandwave

British Airways vs Southwest Airlines:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, British Airways had more branded searches than Southwest Airlines among airline brands worldwide. British Airways had about 5 million branded searches, while Southwest Airlines had 4.1 million. British Airways made up 15.7% of all airline brand searches we track, and Southwest Airlines accounted for 12.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about airline brands, Southwest Airlines appeared in three of the five answers and British Airways in none.

Among airline brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

British Airways, about 22% more searches than Southwest Airlines

British Airways 5M searchesSouthwest Airlines 4.1M searches

Who does AI mention more?

Southwest Airlines, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, British Airways in 0

Southwest Airlines in 3 of 5British Airways in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Southwest Airlines, the only one of the two named

Southwest Airlines first in 3British Airways never named

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Top airline brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Southwest Airlines was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. British Airways did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Delta Air Lines1st
  2. Qatar Airways2nd
  3. Singapore Airlines3rd
  4. Southwest Airlines4th
  5. United Airlines5th
  6. Emirates6th
  7. Cathay Pacific7th
  8. British Airways–
  9. Qantas–
  10. Air New Zealand–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • United Airlines3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Emirates3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Southwest Airlines3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Delta Air Lines3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Qatar Airways3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Singapore Airlines3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Cathay Pacific2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • British Airways0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Qantas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Air New Zealand0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about airline brands

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is British Airways or Southwest Airlines more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for British Airways and Southwest Airlines by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten airline brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

British Airways and Southwest Airlines among airline brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for British Airways, Southwest Airlines. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthUnited AirlinesBritish AirwaysEmiratesSouthwest AirlinesDelta Air LinesQatar AirwaysSingapore AirlinesCathay PacificQantasAir New Zealand
Oct 202517.9%12%14.6%14.6%9.8%12%6.5%5.3%5.3%2%
Nov 202519.1%10.4%15.6%12.7%10.4%12.7%7%4.7%5.7%1.7%
Dec 202520.1%11%13.4%13.4%11%13.4%6%4.9%4.9%1.8%
Jan 202616.4%13.4%13.4%13.4%11%13.4%7.3%4.9%4.9%1.8%
Feb 202618.1%12.1%14.8%14.8%9.9%12.1%6.6%4.4%5.4%1.6%
Mar 202616.2%10.8%19.7%10.8%8.8%16.2%7.2%4.8%4%1.5%
Apr 202618.8%12.6%15.4%12.6%10.3%12.6%6.9%4.6%4.6%1.7%
May 202618.8%12.6%12.6%15.4%12.6%10.3%6.9%4.6%4.6%1.7%
Jun 202618.8%12.6%12.6%15.4%10.3%12.6%6.9%4.6%4.6%1.7%
Jul 202618.4%12.3%12.3%15%12.3%12.3%6.7%4.5%4.5%1.7%
Aug 202618.6%12.4%12.4%15.2%12.4%10.2%6.8%4.6%5.6%1.7%
Sep 202619.3%15.7%12.9%12.9%10.5%10.5%7%4.7%4.7%1.7%

How has the British Airways and Southwest Airlines comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: British Airways took it in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, British Airways’ share of searches among airline brands worldwide moved from 12% to 15.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 5M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Southwest Airlines’ share of searches among airline brands worldwide moved from 14.6% to 12.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5M to 4.1M.

How did search popularity change for airline brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, British Airways overtook Southwest Airlines to rank 2nd among airline brands worldwide, with 15.7% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Southwest Airlines lost share of searches among airline brands worldwide, from 15.2% to 12.9%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using British Airways’ and Southwest Airlines’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

British Airways

1 branded search term

  • british airways

Southwest Airlines

1 branded search term

  • southwest airlines

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among airline brands

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