British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, British Airways had more branded searches than Virgin Atlantic among airlines in the United Kingdom. British Airways had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Virgin Atlantic had 450,000. British Airways made up 22.3% of all airline searches we track, and Virgin Atlantic accounted for 5.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic each appeared in two of the five answers. Virgin Atlantic was mentioned before British Airways in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
British Airways, about 4 searches for every 1 for Virgin Atlantic
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Virgin Atlantic, named ahead of British Airways in 2 of 2 answers
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Top airlines in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were each 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 was listed before British Airways in every answer that named either.
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.
Is British Airways or Virgin Atlantic more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for British Airways and Virgin Atlantic 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 British Airways, Virgin Atlantic. 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% |
How has the British Airways and Virgin Atlantic comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- British Airways was ahead of Virgin Atlantic in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, British Airways’ share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom moved from 21.4% to 22.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Virgin Atlantic’s share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom moved from 5.3% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom airlines in September 2026?
2 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, Virgin Atlantic gained share of searches among airlines in the United Kingdom, from 4.9% to 5.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using British Airways’ and Virgin Atlantic’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
Virgin Atlantic
1 branded search term
- virgin atlantic
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