Virgin America's Loopt Campaign Is Big on Prizes

Virgin America, long known for its social media prowess, somehow manages to raise the bar with its latest campaign. For the next three months, the airline will give away a prize to every person who uses geo-social app Loopt to check in at its T2 terminal at the San Francisco International airport.

Loopt didn't disclose how many daily check-ins have been averaged at T2, Virgin's social-media-minded terminal that opened last spring after a major renovation. But it said that the terminal averages 9,500 outbound travelers per day.

Of that number, those who check in via Loopt can win anything from a free flight to complimentary gift items at retailers in T2, such as Cat Cora's Kitchen, Kiehl's, Napa Farms Market, and Natalie's Candy Jar. Morgans Hotel Group is also a partner, giving away random suite rentals for the Mondrian hotel in Los Angeles and the Clift in San Francisco.

Mountain View, CA-based Loopt, which claims 5 million users, has created a customized prize generator for the effort. A spokesperson for the company said that Virgin America, the T2 retailers, and Morgans Hotel Group were contributing to the cost of the daily prizes.

Most geo-social campaigns reward users with discounts or swag only after multiple check-ins.