Brandwave

How popular isVirgin Atlantic?

In September 2026, people searched for Virgin Atlantic by name about 450,000 times in the United Kingdom, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 5.5% of all United Kingdom airline searches, placing Virgin Atlantic fifth out of seven airlines. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about airlines, Virgin Atlantic appeared in two of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Virgin Atlantic is the fifth most searched of 7 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. easyJetShare of searches 27.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. British AirwaysShare of searches 22.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  3. RyanairShare of searches 22.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. Jet2Share of searches 13.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. Virgin AtlanticShare of searches 5.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th

+2 more

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Top airlines in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Virgin Atlantic was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Virgin Atlantic is the fifth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Ryanair1st
  2. easyJet2nd
  3. Jet23rd
  4. Emirates4th
  5. Virgin Atlantic5th
  6. British Airways6th
  7. Wizz Air7th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • easyJet4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ryanair4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Jet23 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • British Airways2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Virgin Atlantic2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Emirates2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Wizz Air1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about airlines

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

Which airlines compete with Virgin Atlantic?

Virgin Atlantic against airlines in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Wizz Air. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MontheasyJetBritish AirwaysRyanairJet2Virgin AtlanticEmiratesWizz Air
Oct 202526.2%21.4%26.2%10.2%5.3%5.3%5.3%
Nov 202524%24%24%11.5%4.8%5.9%5.9%
Dec 202525.9%25.9%21.2%10.1%5.2%6.4%5.2%
Jan 202628%22.9%22.9%11.4%4.6%5.6%4.6%
Feb 202629.2%19.5%23.9%12%4.8%5.9%4.8%
Mar 202625.9%21.2%25.9%10.6%4.3%7.8%4.3%
Apr 202629.4%19.6%24%13.4%4.8%3.9%4.8%
May 202629.2%19.5%23.8%13.8%3.9%3.9%5.9%
Jun 202625.5%20.8%25.5%14.8%4.2%4.2%5.1%
Jul 202628.8%19.2%23.5%16%3.9%3.9%4.7%
Aug 202629.8%19.9%19.9%16.6%4.9%4%4.9%
Sep 202627.3%22.3%22.3%13.7%5.5%4.5%4.5%

  1. 1.easyJet

    27.3%

    Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -2.5 points.

  2. 2.British Airways

    22.3%

    Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.

  3. 3.Ryanair

    22.3%

    Held 3rd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.

  4. 4.Jet2

    13.7%

    Held 4th. 1.1M estimated branded searches, -26.1% vs prior month. Share -2.9 points.

  5. 5.Virgin Atlantic

    5.5%

    Held 5th. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  6. 6.Emirates

    4.5%

    Moved from 7th to 6th. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  7. 7.Wizz Air

    4.5%

    Moved from 6th to 7th. 368K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

Compare popularity between Virgin Atlantic and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Virgin Atlantic

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Virgin Atlantic changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Virgin Atlantic in the United Kingdom held steady at 450K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgin Atlantic’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.5% in September 2026 and was lowest at 3.9% in July 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgin Atlantic rose from 6th to 5th among airlines in the United Kingdom.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom airlines in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, British Airways gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 19.9% to 22.3%.

  2. In September 2026, Ryanair gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 19.9% to 22.3%.

  3. In September 2026, Virgin Atlantic gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 4.9% to 5.5%.

  4. In September 2026, Jet2 lost share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 16.6% to 13.7%.

  5. In September 2026, easyJet lost share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 29.8% to 27.3%.

  6. In September 2026, Emirates rose from 7th to 6th among airlines in the United Kingdom.

How are Virgin Atlantic’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Virgin Atlantic’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • virgin atlantic

Do you work for Virgin Atlantic? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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