--- title: "Airlines in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?" description: "Compare the airlines people in the UK fly with. Share of Search among easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Wizz Air, the airlines Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-airlines" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Airlines in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most? Compare the airlines people in the UK fly with. Share of Search among easyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Wizz Air, the airlines Brandwave compares in the United Kingdom, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Competitive set**: Airlines - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Brands compared**: 7 - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Highest Share of Search**: easyJet, 27.3% ## Which brand is most popular in search among airlines in the United Kingdom? - 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%. - 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. ## 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. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Ryanair | 1st | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | easyJet | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Jet2 | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Emirates | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Virgin Atlantic | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | British Airways | 6th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Wizz Air | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about airlines - Asked ChatGPT "Which airline should I fly with from the UK?": 1. Jet2, 2. Emirates, 3. Virgin Atlantic, 4. British Airways - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best airlines in the UK?": 1. Jet2, 2. Emirates, 3. Virgin Atlantic, 4. British Airways, 5. easyJet, 6. Ryanair - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best low cost airline for flights from the UK to Europe?": 1. easyJet, 2. Ryanair, 3. Wizz Air, 4. Jet2 - Searched Google, AI Overview "flights": 1. Ryanair, 2. easyJet - Searched Google, AI Overview "cheap flights": 1. Ryanair, 2. easyJet Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026. ## Compare search popularity between leading brands - [easyJet vs British Airways: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/british-airways-vs-easyjet-airline): 27.3% against 22.3% Share of Search. - [easyJet vs Ryanair: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/easyjet-airline-vs-ryanair): 27.3% against 22.3% Share of Search. - [easyJet vs Jet2: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/easyjet-airline-vs-jet2-airline): 27.3% against 13.7% Share of Search. - [easyJet vs Virgin Atlantic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/easyjet-airline-vs-virgin-atlantic): 27.3% against 5.5% Share of Search. - [British Airways vs Ryanair: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/british-airways-vs-ryanair): 22.3% Share of Search each. - [British Airways vs Jet2: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/british-airways-vs-jet2-airline): 22.3% against 13.7% Share of Search. - [British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/british-airways-vs-virgin-atlantic): 22.3% against 5.5% Share of Search. - [Ryanair vs Jet2: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/jet2-airline-vs-ryanair): 22.3% against 13.7% Share of Search. - [Ryanair vs Virgin Atlantic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/ryanair-vs-virgin-atlantic): 22.3% against 5.5% Share of Search. - [Jet2 vs Virgin Atlantic: compare search popularity](/demand/uk/compare/jet2-airline-vs-virgin-atlantic): 13.7% against 5.5% Share of Search. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom airlines in September 2026? - 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. ## Share of Search ranking | Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | easyJet | 27.3% | 2.2M | -18.2% | easyJet | | 2 | British Airways | 22.3% | 1.8M | 0.0% | British Airways | | 3 | Ryanair | 22.3% | 1.8M | 0.0% | Ryanair | | 4 | Jet2 | 13.7% | 1.1M | -26.1% | Jet2 | | 5 | Virgin Atlantic | 5.5% | 450K | 0.0% | Virgin Atlantic | | 6 | Emirates | 4.5% | 368K | 0.0% | Emirates | | 7 | Wizz Air | 4.5% | 368K | -18.2% | Wizz Air | ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | easyJet | 2.2M | 26.2% | 1 | | Oct 2025 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 26.2% | 2 | | Oct 2025 | British Airways | 1.8M | 21.4% | 3 | | Oct 2025 | Jet2 | 874K | 10.2% | 4 | | Oct 2025 | Emirates | 450K | 5.3% | 5 | | Oct 2025 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 5.3% | 6 | | Oct 2025 | Wizz Air | 450K | 5.3% | 7 | | Nov 2025 | British Airways | 1.8M | 24% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | easyJet | 1.8M | 24% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | Ryanair | 1.8M | 24% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | Jet2 | 874K | 11.5% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | Emirates | 450K | 5.9% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | Wizz Air | 450K | 5.9% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | Virgin Atlantic | 368K | 4.8% | 7 | | Dec 2025 | British Airways | 1.8M | 25.9% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | easyJet | 1.8M | 25.9% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | Ryanair | 1.5M | 21.2% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | Jet2 | 715K | 10.1% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | Emirates | 450K | 6.4% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | Virgin Atlantic | 368K | 5.2% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | Wizz Air | 368K | 5.2% | 7 | | Jan 2026 | easyJet | 3.4M | 28% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | British Airways | 2.7M | 22.9% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | Ryanair | 2.7M | 22.9% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | Jet2 | 1.4M | 11.4% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | Emirates | 673K | 5.6% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 550K | 4.6% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | Wizz Air | 550K | 4.6% | 7 | | Feb 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 29.2% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 23.9% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 19.5% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | Jet2 | 1.1M | 12% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | Emirates | 550K | 5.9% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 4.8% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 4.8% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 25.9% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | Ryanair | 2.7M | 25.9% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | British Airways | 2.2M | 21.2% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | Jet2 | 1.1M | 10.6% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | Emirates | 823K | 7.8% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 4.3% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 4.3% | 7 | | Apr 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 29.4% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 24% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 19.6% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | Jet2 | 1.2M | 13.4% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 4.8% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 4.8% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 3.9% | 7 | | May 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 29.2% | 1 | | May 2026 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 23.8% | 2 | | May 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 19.5% | 3 | | May 2026 | Jet2 | 1.3M | 13.8% | 4 | | May 2026 | Wizz Air | 550K | 5.9% | 5 | | May 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 3.9% | 6 | | May 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 368K | 3.9% | 7 | | Jun 2026 | easyJet | 2.2M | 25.5% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 25.5% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 20.8% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | Jet2 | 1.3M | 14.8% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 5.1% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 4.2% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 368K | 4.2% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 28.8% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | Ryanair | 2.2M | 23.5% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 19.2% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | Jet2 | 1.5M | 16% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 4.7% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 3.9% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 368K | 3.9% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | easyJet | 2.7M | 29.8% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 19.9% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Ryanair | 1.8M | 19.9% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | Jet2 | 1.5M | 16.6% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 4.9% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | Wizz Air | 450K | 4.9% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 4% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | easyJet | 2.2M | 27.3% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | British Airways | 1.8M | 22.3% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | Ryanair | 1.8M | 22.3% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | Jet2 | 1.1M | 13.7% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | Virgin Atlantic | 450K | 5.5% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | Emirates | 368K | 4.5% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | Wizz Air | 368K | 4.5% | 7 | ## What is being compared - **British Airways**: Measured on the search term “british airways”. - **easyJet**: Measured on the search term “easyjet”. - **Emirates**: Measured on the search term “emirates”. - **Jet2**: Measured on the search terms “jet2” and “jet2 flights”, summed into one figure. - **Ryanair**: Measured on the search term “ryanair”. - **Virgin Atlantic**: Measured on the search term “virgin atlantic”. - **Wizz Air**: Measured on the search term “wizz air”. - [British Airways](/demand/uk/brands/british-airways) - [easyJet](/demand/uk/brands/easyjet-airline) - [Emirates](/demand/uk/brands/emirates) - [Jet2](/demand/uk/brands/jet2-airline) - [Ryanair](/demand/uk/brands/ryanair) - [Virgin Atlantic](/demand/uk/brands/virgin-atlantic) - [Wizz Air](/demand/uk/brands/wizz-air) ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which brand is most popular in search among airlines in the United Kingdom? 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. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Airlines in the United Kingdom: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-airlines This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/categories/uk-airlines. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.