I have one of those 128G MacBook Airs, and the SSD failed on me literally a few days after the warranty expired. I took it to the Apple store to see if they would repair it under warranty (Apple used to be lax about warranty dates), but they told me no. I ended up ordering 256G SSD from OWC and repairing it myself (which was cheaper and faster then what Apple store clerk quoted me for a new 128G SSD).
Called them today about a refund - they told me I might not be eligible because I did the repair myself and not through an authorized repair center, but they will try to get it approved. We'll see how it works :)
I noticed that recently Apple stores are managed independently.
Many actions / decisions being made really depend on the store. Personally, I needed an iphone replaced and one local apple store decided NOT to even look at the iphone. Another apple store was very upfront: they looked at the damaged iphone, and offered an exchange for $200.
Called them today about a refund - they told me I might not be eligible because I did the repair myself and not through an authorized repair center, but they will try to get it approved. We'll see how it works :)