many forum members will tell you that the refurbished are at par/ sometimes better than their "new" counterparts..
it has something to do with the quality inspection, so when you see a refurbished posted, most of the times it doesn't stay there for a long time since people are buying them.. considering the savings you'll be getting.
it's just weird, up to now i haven't seen an MBA on refurbished.
i have an MBP already and if only if i consider getting an MBA, it would definitely be a refurbished one