The SMS messages do get sent, and sometimes by the bucketful. GB Airways passengers will also be very familiar with emails advising of cancellations.

I do question the overall benefit of the SMS service. It usually only serves the purpose of making a pax angry for a longer period of time, rather than keeping them ignorantly happy until they reach the airport. When the SMS is received and pax telephones in a state of panic, we usually only have the dregs to offer as an alternative as other suitable flights are booked up. At least if the airport deals with it they can fill out a FIM and reroute on to another airline. It would not be so bad if the contact centres were at least given more scope for rebooking pax when their flight gets cancelled.

And it always seems to be LUX. This flight always seems to get cancelled at the drop of a hat.