STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 20, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- SAS is launching a new SMS service that automatically sends traffic information to the customer's mobile phone. All customers with Travel Pass or Travel Pass Corporate can subscribe for the new service. In the autumn, this service will also be offered to those traveling with SAS' most flexible ticket class.
The SMS service will enable customers to quickly and easily find out about any changes in flight departure and arrival times.
"We have called the new service 'SAS-Info.' It is completely free and customers need only make an initial one-time subscription," explained Charlotte Rosengren Edgren, Product Development Manager of IT On Ground, who continued: "In the event of delays in excess of 30 minutes, the system automatically searches the passenger list and contacts all subscribers to SAS-Info. If a departure gate has been decided, this information will also be communicated to the passengers."
The former service, whereby customers themselves submit SMS inquiries to the airline, has proved highly popular, especially among frequent travelers, and will continue. In 2001, SAS received a total of 79,000 such inquiries via SMS.
SAS is planning to present more SMS-based services in the future.
In a relatively short time, SMS has become a highly popular method of communicating via the mobile phone network. During 2001, more than 500 million SMS messages were transmitted in Sweden. Eight out of ten Swedes over the age of 16 have a mobile phone and 66 percent of them have transmitted an SMS message at some time. In the 16-29 age category, the corresponding figure is 97 percent.
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