I’m going to miss Virgin America. I’ve only flown them once, but they’ve allowed me to accumulate thousands of free points through bonuses, surveys and newsletters. Those are my favorite kinds of points; the ones that involve no work, whatsoever. Heck, they have even helped me earn points at other airlines and then given me a fare sale for doing so. What more could I ask for from our friends in San Francisco?

Virgin Hotels Newsletter: 500 Points to Sign up

How about yet another 500 points? And not just any points; these are easy points. Simply sign up for the Virgin Hotels newsletter and they will credit 500 points to your Virgin America Elevate account. No muss, no fuss.

Virgin Hotels is in no danger of taking over Hilton. There is exactly one hotel, in Chicago, with five more planned. Those five will eventually show up in New York, Dallas, Palm Springs, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The “shtick,” for lack of a better term, is “boutique hospitality.” Think of it as what Starwood strives for at the W and Aloft brands. The webpage brags about having no nickel and diming (There are no room service delivery charges, for example, and minibars are stocked at “street prices.”) and notes that internet is free. It’s Virgin, so naturally, everything is done through technology. The app’s “comfort assistant” is called Lucy, and you use her for everything from controlling the thermostat to ordering room service.

The Virgin Hotels loyalty program is known as “The Know.” There are no points, no free future stays. Rather, they ask you a list of questions to “personalize” your stay. For example, they asked what items I like to have in my minibar. I’m curious to see if they’re going to be able to come up with a single plum, floating in perfume, served in a man’s hat.

The Bottom Line

Sign up for the newsletter and take the points. They’re free and, if nothing else, they’ll eventually become Alaska Air miles.