The First Flight Auction is now live

[preiffer]

Link here

The JFK flight has SRB on it, both packages offer:

~ 2 round-trip tickets aboard Virgin America's
first flight on August 8, 2007.

~ Choose to fly from either JFK or LAX to San Francisco.

~ 2 VIP invitations to our Paint the Town Red
kick-off party in SF's Union Square.

~ 1 night's stay at San Francisco's Clift Hotel.

~ Ground transportation provided.

Interestingly, since it doesn't state that it's a First Class ticket (despite showing the FC seat), my GUESS is that the winners will travel in economy... [:?][n]

[Bazz]

Yeah but you have to be pre-approved to bid! I assume this is if you are in the UK or more correctly if you are not in the USA?

I tried to put a bid on but it was blocked [n]

[Scrooge]

At long last...something that is pro US....now how much do I have to bid to get the seat next to SRB out of JFK...5 hours of me bitching at him about VS and I should off gotten my monies worth [:I]

I think I'll be in SF during that party thing (if it's on August 8th), but I wonder if I can get entry without a ticket?

[preiffer]

Originally posted by VS-EWR
I think I'll be in SF during that party thing (if it's on August 8th), but I wonder if I can get entry without a ticket?

Hmmm... Let me think about that for a second... [:?]

Nope.

Lovely opportunity but I am not in favor of the KIPP programs. Charter schools are highly controversial in the US--largely because they take the public our of public education. Schools in impoverished cities are further challenged as they must suffer the costs of each student who chooses to go to a charter school--typically at $9-10K a head.

And who chooses to go? Not the truly needy--but as one would expect, the sons and daughters of those already savvy enough to suss out opportunity and not those who are challenged by a myriad number of what it means to survive day to day in poverty. Those kids are stuck.

Plus the KIPP schools are boring, boring, boring--almost the complete antithesis to the sort of creative education that helps children realize their own potential. The teachers in charter schools do not need to have ANY traning in teaching nor any certification. Yeah, so the kids pass the tests, but nay that that lose the ability to think independently. These are just the sort of schools SRB would himself as an adolescent have found suffocating-and they won't be fast tracking any big thinkers for future economies--more likely they will produce obedient line workers and possibly basic IT people.

I am very saddened that VA would support such a counter-democratic venture (did I mention that KIPP is a profit making enterprise?) in nation that has always prized real public education.

Fly VA (I am) but let them know that this is a misguided way to begin their ertswhile efforts to support charities. I for one am not
interested in lining the pockets of millionaires off the backs of kids. There are many wonderful US nonprofit school reform efforts (Coalition for essential Schools is an excellent one as is the small schools movement supported in part by Bill Gates).

Dunno how they started down this road but surely hope they pull back, pronto.
[:(]
Cheers,
RR