Superb Idea: Virgin America Rolls Out Water-Bottle Refill Stations Virgin America Rolls Out Water-Bottle Refill Stations

Call this common sense marketed well. Virgin America has installed "hydration stations" at San Francisco International Airport's "green" terminal. Normally, after the TSA pats you down, X-rays your undies, and confiscates your Poland Spring, you have to shell out $4 or so for monopoly-priced airport water. Not any more—well, not at SFO, anyway.

Sure, you can bring your empty water bottle through security and fill it up at a water fountain at just about any airport (well, not any airport). And SFO has had "hydration stations" for a while now. But now Virgin is jumping in with an endorsement, branding refills as the smarter way to travel, and even pushing water bottles with the company logo. This is Virgin doing what Virgin does best, and making something that's been around seem cooler—the eco-friendly version of on-board lounge music and purple mood lighting.

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The praise that Virgin is getting for its clever marketing of SFO's existing offering is important. Other airports won't step up and provide refill stations until customers demand it. Already, fans are leaving hundreds of positive comments on Facebook about Virgin's effort—hopefully they'll push for this to become a national trend.

Image: Virgin America