Virgin Atlantic said it was "delighted" that a key aide to UK Prime Minister David Cameron had told ministers to fly with its airline rather than British Airways, the Financial Times reported.
The comments follow an interview with UK education secretary Michael Gove who was reported in Standpoint magazine as referring to a conversation with Cameron's chief policy adviser Steve Hilton.
Gove was quoted as saying: "When I explained to Steve Hilton that I was off to the States, he said: 'what are you flying? Don't fly British Airways, they are fat cats. Fly Branson, he is the upstart. We are on the side of the upstarts."
Virgin said: "We have long fought the 'fat cat' of the skies and we will do all we can to keep counting calories."
Downing Street said that Mr Hilton's views were made in a personal capacity. It pointed out that Mr Cameron had recently flown with BA to Saudi Arabia.
BA refused to comment.
Mr Hilton was a frequent transatlantic flyer having lived for a time in California while working in the UK.
