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Gogo is expanding by going small.
The in-flight Internet service provider announced that it would offer web solutions for those traveling by light jet and turboprop airplanes with a new pricing structure.
Corporate travelers cramming into a lavish but tiny space can soon open their tablet or laptop and email away with Gogo's service.
We leave it up to you whether the pricing structure is something to celebrate or merely take as the market rate for Wi-Fi high in the sky.
Gogo is ditching the data model for a lump sum in these specialized spaces. Pricing will either be $39 or $99 per hour depending how much Internetting you plan on doing.
A release states: "Starting at $39 per hour, the new service plans provide the convenience of in-flight connectivity with predictable pricing - no overage fees and no surprises."
Now the base price does change, but that should be met as welcomed news. According to Gogo, the first hour is on you, the consumer, to pony up the base fee.
After that you will be charged based on how much data you actually use.
For those traveling by light jet or turboprop, there is at least a fair chance that you aren't traveling remarkably long distances. So perhaps this will fit in nicely to the demographic that chooses to fly in more private confines.
Andy Geist, senior vice president of sales for Gogo Business Aviation, explains the impetus behind Gogo's light pricing structure: "After speaking with owners in the turboprop and light jet markets, the feedback we received was that predictable pricing plans are important. So we created the new hourly plans with the customer in mind to offer plans with predictability and no overages."
As for that predictive pricing, you can plan for either a 40-buck session or one that will cost you nearly $100 for that first hour.
The cheaper version, or ATG 1000, will allow a basic means to conversation with the world below. Up to five devices can be connected to the service at once and will allow e-mail, e-mail attachments and voice and text messaging.
But if you want to super size the experience, allowing you to actually use the Internet as was intended, you can pony up for the ATG 2000, which allows web browsing and what Gogo states are "most apps."
Infrastructure will of course be expensive, ranging from $35,000 for installation of an ATG 1000 to $47,3000 for an ATG 2000 system.
While browsing the Internet amid actual clouds isn't nearly as quick or as inexpensive as it is on terra firma, the service is getting more available and its pricing more transparent for those who need its access.
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