How about a contrary opinion, just because it's Sunday and I'm bored: I, for one, am thoroughly unexcited by the Virgin America FF program. Don't get me wrong: there are aspects of the product itself that sound interesting, and I hope VA is successful enough that they force other airlines to compete with them. But a program that has reduced itself to a straight-rebate type of program becomes less interesting and has fewer opportunities to maximize advantage for people like us, who pay attention to the various nuances of FF programs.

Plus, I don't see anything yet showing how (or if) VA links into the bigger Virgin program. To me, the big hook to flying Virgin America would be to score one of those sweet Upper Class tix to Europe. But if the programs aren't linked, then VA becomes more of a niche program like JetBlue or Southwest. Programs like that have their niche and their valid purpose - but neither is going to lure me away from Star or Oneworld.

Go ahead and flame me...I realize the rest of the FF universe is wholeheartedly geeked about Virgin America. Like I said, I'm glad the airline itself exists and is flying some key routes in the U.S., but I am not yet 100% sold on the FF program. (Although this didn't stop me from signing up the day the website went online. )