Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

Aircell is eliminating unlimited service plans for new service activations to its Gogo Biz air-to-ground network, beginning July 16. After that date, existing unlimited service contracts will be subject to a “grandfathering” option, which continues unlimited service until Dec. 15, 2016. Rate plans are changing, too, but customers will get more data for the same price under the new lowest-cost plan. Two new plans have been added at the 2.5 and 5 GB levels.


Aircell says it was prompted to make the change by the rapid growth in data usage aloft, which mirrors ground-bound mobile device users’ appetite for data. Aircell said it has expanded the number of network sectors by 316 percent and ground sites by 113 percent and will add Canadian coverage in the first quarter of this year.


The new Aircell rates for service activations on or after July 16 are:


• Gogo Biz 60: $395 per month, includes 60 MB data, $7.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz 250: $1,195 per month, includes 250 MB data, $4.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz 2500: $2,395 per month, includes 2.5 GB data, $1.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz 5000: $3,995 per month, includes 5 GB data, $0.95 for each additional MB.


The existing rates are:


• Gogo Biz 40: $395 per month, includes 40 MB data, $8.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz 100: $895 per month, includes 100 MB data, $7.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz 250: $1,195 per month, includes 250 MB data, $4.95 for each additional MB.


• Gogo Biz Unlimited: $2,295 per month.


Aircell said that current Gogo Biz 40 subscribers will be moved to the Gogo Biz 60 plan and Gogo Biz 100 subscribers will be moved to the Gogo Biz 250 plan on July 16. Multi-aircraft discounts on the monthly service fee will still be available.


A customer on an active Gogo Biz Unlimited plan as of July 15, 2014, can stay on that plan until Dec. 15, 2016, according to Aircell, but beginning this July, the unlimited plan monthly fee climbs to $2,395 per month from $2,295 “and then will not increase by more than $100/month per year, through Dec. 15, 2016.” After that customers will be switched to one of the above service plans.

Aircell Eliminating Unlimited Rate Plan for Gogo Biz Service

Starting next month, unlimited service contracts will not be an option, but current users will be grandfathered in through the end of 2016.

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