Airlines in the United Kingdom:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, easyJet was the most searched airline in the United Kingdom, accounting for 27.3% of all searches among the seven airlines we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, easyJet and Ryanair were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Ryanair was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five responses.
easyJetShare of searches 27.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
British AirwaysShare of searches 22.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
RyanairShare of searches 22.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
Jet2Share of searches 13.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
Virgin AtlanticShare of searches 5.5%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
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Top airlines in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, easyJet and Ryanair were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Ryanair was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. easyJet was second, and Jet2 was third.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Ryanair1st
- easyJet2nd
- Jet23rd
Emirates4th- Virgin Atlantic5th
- British Airways6th
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which airline should I fly with from the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best airlines in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best low cost airline for flights from the UK to Europe?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“flights”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cheap flights”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Which airlines do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each airline by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven airlines we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
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
| Month | easyJet | British Airways | Ryanair | Jet2 | Virgin Atlantic | Emirates | Wizz Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.2% | 21.4% | 26.2% | 10.2% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 24% | 24% | 24% | 11.5% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.9% | 25.9% | 21.2% | 10.1% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 28% | 22.9% | 22.9% | 11.4% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.2% | 19.5% | 23.9% | 12% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 4.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 25.9% | 21.2% | 25.9% | 10.6% | 4.3% | 7.8% | 4.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.4% | 19.6% | 24% | 13.4% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% |
| May 2026 | 29.2% | 19.5% | 23.8% | 13.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 5.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.5% | 20.8% | 25.5% | 14.8% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.8% | 19.2% | 23.5% | 16% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.8% | 19.9% | 19.9% | 16.6% | 4.9% | 4% | 4.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.3% | 22.3% | 22.3% | 13.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 27.3% | 2.2M | -18.2% | -2.5 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 22.3% | 1.8M | 0% | +2.4 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 22.3% | 1.8M | 0% | +2.4 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 13.7% | 1.1M | -26.1% | -2.9 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 5.5% | 450K | 0% | +0.6 points | |
| 6, moved from 7th to 6th | 4.5% | 368K | 0% | +0.5 pointsmoved from 7th to 6th | |
| 7, moved from 6th to 7th | 4.5% | 368K | -18.2% | -0.4 pointsmoved from 6th to 7th |
1.
easyJet27.3%
Held 1st. 2.2M estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -2.5 points.
22.3%
Held 2nd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.
3.
Ryanair22.3%
Held 3rd. 1.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.4 points.
4.
Jet213.7%
Held 4th. 1.1M estimated branded searches, -26.1% vs prior month. Share -2.9 points.
5.5%
Held 5th. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
6.
Emirates4.5%
Moved from 7th to 6th. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
7.
Wizz Air4.5%
Moved from 6th to 7th. 368K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among airlines in the United Kingdom?
7 brands
In September 2026, easyJet was the most searched among airlines in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 2.2M branded searches, 27.3% of all searches for the seven we track. British Airways is in 2nd place, 5 percentage points behind at 22.3%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| easyJet | 26.2% → 27.3% | 29.8%Aug 2026 | 24%Nov 2025 | 1st |
| British Airways | 21.4% → 22.3% | 25.9%Dec 2025 | 19.2%Jul 2026 | 3rd → 2nd |
| Ryanair | 26.2% → 22.3% | 26.2%Oct 2025 | 19.9%Aug 2026 | 2nd → 3rd |
| Jet2 | 10.2% → 13.7% | 16.6%Aug 2026 | 10.1%Dec 2025 | 4th |
| Virgin Atlantic | 5.3% → 5.5% | 5.5%Sep 2026 | 3.9%Jul 2026 | 6th → 5th |
| Emirates | 5.3% → 4.5% | 7.8%Mar 2026 | 3.9%Jul 2026 | 5th → 6th |
| Wizz Air | 5.3% → 4.5% | 5.9%Nov 2025 | 4.3%Mar 2026 | 7th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, easyJet’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom increased from 26.2% to 27.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, British Airways’ share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom increased from 21.4% to 22.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryanair’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom decreased from 26.2% to 22.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Jet2’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom increased from 10.2% to 13.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Emirates’ share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom decreased from 5.3% to 4.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wizz Air’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom decreased from 5.3% to 4.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, easyJet’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 29.8% in August 2026 and was lowest at 24% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, British Airways’ share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 25.9% in December 2025 and was lowest at 19.2% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryanair’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 26.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 19.9% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Jet2’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 16.6% in August 2026 and was lowest at 10.1% in December 2025.
- 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, Emirates’ share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 7.8% in March 2026 and was lowest at 3.9% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wizz Air’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom peaked at 5.9% in November 2025 and was lowest at 4.3% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, British Airways rose from 3rd to 2nd among airlines in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ryanair fell from 2nd to 3rd among airlines in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgin Atlantic rose from 6th to 5th among airlines in the United Kingdom.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Emirates fell from 5th to 6th among airlines in the United Kingdom.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom airlines in September 2026?
7 changes
In September 2026, British Airways gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 19.9% to 22.3%.
In September 2026, Ryanair gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 19.9% to 22.3%.
In September 2026, Virgin Atlantic gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 4.9% to 5.5%.
In September 2026, Jet2 lost share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 16.6% to 13.7%.
In September 2026, easyJet lost share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 29.8% to 27.3%.
In September 2026, Emirates rose from 7th to 6th among airlines in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, Wizz Air fell from 6th to 7th among airlines in the United Kingdom.
Compare popularity between leading brands
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