I’ve flown Virgin America several times now and I have to say overall it is a great experience. Aside from being competitively priced, each new plane is equipped with cool lighting and a state-of-the-art “Red” entertainment system that has been really effective at attracting the younger “iPhone” generation. The perception of Virgin America as a technologically advanced airline was further enhanced recently with their announcement that they were the first airline to offer WiFi fleet wide.

While their size puts them at a distinct advantage over other airlines to offer such services, the airline’s aggressive marketing and social media efforts have paid enormous dividends for them. Aside from landing a coveted segment on Oprah, that included skypeing from an elevation of 35,000 feet, the company has been aggressively reaching out to customers with innovative marketing and partnerships to further distinguish and differentiate itself within the crowded travel segment as the young tech savvy airline of choice.

Virgin America’s most recent effort includes a participatory marketing program titled “The Day In The Cloud Challenge.” The program is being done in conjunction with Google Apps and is set for Wednesday, June 24th. Together, Google Apps and Virgin America are inviting “the brave and the willing, the airborne and the earthbound to embark on The Day In The Cloud Challenge the first online scavenger hunt played simultaneously in the air and well, everywhere else.” What is the cloud you ask? The cloud is software-as-a-service for programs like email and information sharing. The cloud allows folks to skip installing software and saving files on their computer and it is among the hottest terms in tech today. The cloud is an efficient and cost effective alternative to traditional software that is taking flight. In fact, StrongMail a leading in-house enterprise email marketing solution (where I happen to sit on the board) offers Fortune 2000 customers an alternative to ASP solutions from some of the Leading Email Service Providers and you guessed it…it is in the cloud. But the cloud and its benefits are still not widely known, and Google and Virgin America are hoping to change that a bit this week.

To play The Day In the Cloud Challenge, visitors simply sign up and arm themselves with a powerful array of Google Apps to find the answers to various questions. As visitors point and click their way toward glory, they will get a hands-on understanding of these Apps and how they can make them more productive. Participants are eligible for a prize pack that includes a brand new HP notebook and 1 terabyte of Google account storage for photos and email. A tutorial and practice game are also online for those who want to prep for Wednesday’s official game, and visitors can even join the lounge where they can size up the competition. So far over 544 people have joined the lounge to exchange some spirited pre-game banter. Overall a good effort that, like other really great participatory marketing programs, serves to reinforce Virgin America’s brand promise and differentiation in the marketplace. Finally, if you happen to be flying Virgin America on Wednesday you’ll receive complimentary WiFi service! You’ll probably also be prompted to join the challenge. Are you Game? To register for The Day In The Cloud Challenge click here.