Yes, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia still fly; Virgin America is gone, and “Virgin Airlines” is not the exact brand.
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The confusion around whether Virgin Airlines still exists comes from one messy naming problem: travelers use one casual name for several different airlines. As of July 2026, Virgin Atlantic still operates passenger flights, Virgin Australia still operates passenger flights, and Virgin America no longer operates as a separate airline.
The clean answer is route-based. For US-to-UK and other long-haul flights, the Virgin name you want is usually Virgin Atlantic. For flights in Australia, the Virgin name is usually Virgin Australia. For old US domestic routes once sold by Virgin America, the airline to check is Alaska Airlines or another current US carrier.
Virgin Airlines Today: The Three Names People Mix Up
The Virgin airline question has three answers: Virgin Atlantic is active, Virgin Australia is active, and Virgin America is retired. The name “Virgin Airlines” is common in search, but it is not the exact passenger brand most travelers will see on tickets.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. is the UK-based Virgin airline many US travelers mean when they remember red aircraft, London flights, and transatlantic service. Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd. is the Australia-based Virgin airline used for many domestic Australian trips and some nearby international travel.
Virgin America is the part that trips people up. Alaska Airlines bought Virgin America, and the Virgin America brand was folded into Alaska’s systems in 2018. A traveler trying to find an old Virgin America route from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, or Las Vegas should not expect to find a current Virgin America booking path.
Which Virgin Airline Still Flies Today?
Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia are the two Virgin-branded passenger airlines travelers are most likely to see today. The right one depends on geography, not on the shared Virgin name.
Virgin Atlantic is the relevant airline for many US travelers because it sells long-haul flights between North America, the United Kingdom, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and other markets. Virgin Atlantic’s current US site still offers flight search, flight status, destination pages, and fare pages through the Virgin Atlantic US flight booking page.
Virgin Australia is separate from Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Australia is tied to the Australian market, with a different website, loyalty setup, route network, and fare rules. A US traveler planning Australia flights should search Virgin Australia only when the trip actually involves Australia or its nearby routes.
Name check: “Virgin” is a brand family, not one single global airline. A ticket sold by Virgin Atlantic is not the same airline as a ticket sold by Virgin Australia.
Virgin Names Compared
Virgin flight names split by market, so the easiest way to avoid confusion is to match the name to the region. The table below shows what each common search term means now.
| Name Travelers Use | Status Now | What To Search |
|---|---|---|
| Virgin Airlines | Casual name, not the exact main passenger brand | Use Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Australia by route |
| Virgin Atlantic | Active passenger airline | Search for US, UK, Caribbean, Africa, and long-haul routes |
| Virgin Australia | Active passenger airline | Search for Australian domestic and nearby international routes |
| Virgin America | No longer a separate airline | Search Alaska Airlines for old US domestic route history |
| Virgin Blue | Old Virgin Australia-era name | Search Virgin Australia instead |
| Virgin Flights To London | Usually Virgin Atlantic | Search Virgin Atlantic and London Heathrow routes |
| Virgin Flights In The US | No current Virgin-branded US domestic airline | Search Alaska, Delta, United, American, Southwest, or JetBlue |
What Happened To Virgin America?
Virgin America ended as a separate passenger airline after Alaska Airlines bought it and integrated operations under Alaska. The practical result is simple: you cannot buy a new Virgin America ticket today.
Virgin America was once a well-known US airline with a strong West Coast presence, especially around San Francisco and Los Angeles. Alaska Airlines completed the takeover process, then moved Virgin America passengers, routes, aircraft, and systems into the Alaska brand.
For travelers, the old Virgin America name matters mainly when reading old reviews, old route pages, credit card nostalgia posts, or flight memories from the 2010s. Those pages may still rank in search, but they do not mean the airline still sells tickets under the Virgin America name.
- Old Virgin America route from San Francisco to New York: check current carriers on that route.
- Old Virgin America loyalty points: the old Elevate program is no longer the live earning path.
- Old Virgin America aircraft photos: those are airline history, not current booking options.
Search The Right Virgin Flight Name
Virgin flight searches work better when you start with the airline name that matches the route rather than the loose Virgin label. A US traveler comparing London flights should usually start with Virgin Atlantic, not “Virgin Airlines.”
For London trips, compare Virgin Atlantic against the other airlines serving the same airports and dates. That matters because fares can change by route, cabin, baggage rule, connection city, and season.
For travelers trying to compare flights to London, start with the live route search rather than an old airline name:
For Australia trips, search Virgin Australia only when the route is inside Australia or connected to Virgin Australia’s current network. For US domestic trips, skip the Virgin name and compare current US airlines on the exact route.
The Name To Use For Each Trip
The right Virgin name depends on where the flight is going, not on the Virgin logo alone. Use the trip type below to land on the right search path.
- Flying from the US to London: search Virgin Atlantic, then compare the same dates against other transatlantic airlines.
- Flying from the US to the Caribbean on a Virgin-branded carrier: check Virgin Atlantic’s current route list first, since route availability changes by season and airport.
- Flying within Australia: search Virgin Australia, especially for major Australian city pairs.
- Flying within the United States: do not search for Virgin America as a current airline; compare active US carriers instead.
- Reading an old Virgin America review: treat the service details as history, since the current airline experience is not Virgin America.
The clean verdict: Virgin Atlantic still exists, Virgin Australia still exists, and Virgin America does not. If a travel site, forum post, or memory says “Virgin Airlines,” translate the phrase into the exact airline name before comparing fares.
References & Sources
- Virgin Atlantic.“Book Flights & Plane Tickets.”Shows Virgin Atlantic’s active US flight search and current passenger booking path.