British Airways vs Cathay Pacific:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, British Airways had more branded searches than Cathay Pacific among airline brands worldwide. British Airways had about 5 million branded searches, while Cathay Pacific had 1.5 million. British Airways made up 15.7% of all airline brand searches we track, and Cathay Pacific accounted for 4.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about airline brands, Cathay Pacific appeared in two of the five answers and British Airways in none.
Who do people search for more?
British Airways, about 3 searches for every 1 for Cathay Pacific
Who does AI mention more?
Cathay Pacific, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, British Airways in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Cathay Pacific, the only one of the two named
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Top airline brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cathay Pacific was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either 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.
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which airline brand should I book?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best airline brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best airline brand for long haul travel?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cheap flights”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best airline”
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 Cathay Pacific more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for British Airways and Cathay Pacific 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.
Share of searches by month for British Airways, Cathay Pacific. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | United Airlines | British Airways | Emirates | Southwest Airlines | Delta Air Lines | Qatar Airways | Singapore Airlines | Cathay Pacific | Qantas | Air New Zealand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 17.9% | 12% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 12% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.1% | 10.4% | 15.6% | 12.7% | 10.4% | 12.7% | 7% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 1.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 20.1% | 11% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 11% | 13.4% | 6% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 11% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 1.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 18.1% | 12.1% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 9.9% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 16.2% | 10.8% | 19.7% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 16.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 4% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 18.8% | 12.6% | 15.4% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 18.8% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 15.4% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 18.8% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 18.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 15% | 12.3% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 1.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 18.6% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 15.2% | 12.4% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 1.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 19.3% | 15.7% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1.7% |
How has the British Airways and Cathay Pacific comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- British Airways was ahead of Cathay Pacific in every measured month of the 12 months ending 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, Cathay Pacific’s share of searches among airline brands worldwide moved from 5.3% to 4.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.8M to 1.5M.
How did search popularity change for airline brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, British Airways overtook Southwest Airlines to rank 2nd among airline brands worldwide, with 15.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Cathay Pacific rose from 9th to 8th among airline brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using British Airways’ and Cathay Pacific’s 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
Cathay Pacific
1 branded search term
- cathay pacific
Other head-to-heads among airline brands
- United Airlines vs British Airways: compare popularity
- United Airlines vs Emirates: compare popularity
- United Airlines vs Southwest Airlines: compare popularity
- United Airlines vs Delta Air Lines: compare popularity
- British Airways vs Emirates: compare popularity
- British Airways vs Southwest Airlines: compare popularity
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