Virgin America encourages passengers to refill water bottles (such as this portable water tank) at SFO's hydration stations.

By the time we make it to our gate at the airport we’re usually pretty cranky. And then we’re faced with the annoying decision about buying a $4 bottle of water so we stay hydrated before boarding. But we recently saw that San Francisco International Airport and Virgin America are making flying a little bit easier, at least in the thirst department, by allowing travelers to refill bottles at post-security hydration stations.

Before the security checkpoint, there’s a receptacle for people to easily empty water bottles. Then travelers simply refill at the hydration station faucets, located at four points in the airport. The stations opened in March at Terminal 3 at boarding area “F” and in the international terminal. Terminal 2, where Virgin America is the anchor tenant, opened after a green renovation in April and has two stations, near the Virgin America and American Airlines boarding areas.

Virgin America — named the most eco-friendly airline, as well as the best domestic airline recently by Travel + Leisure — has been encouraging passengers to use the hydration stations with perks and promotions, including a recent Twitpic giveaway of the airline’s 40-ounce water bottles. (The promotion is over, but follow Virgin America — and VIVmag — on Twitter for updates.) The Virgin America portable water bottles ($14.99) are available to purchase online, and the airline’s Elevate members earn 15 points toward the flier program.

While we could dump out our water bottle and refill it at any airport, it honestly never occurred to us to do so before seeing these hydration stations. And we love that SFO and Virgin America are taking steps to ease the hassles of travel and create less plastic waste.

What’s your opinion of the hydration stations?