''I do call up VOLMET when enroute if there's a question about weather, but usually we know what we need to know from the forecasts.''
Well I'm glad that forecasts is acccurate enough for you to feel confident, but in my part of the world weather can chage very quickly and 3 Hr TAFs and ammendments are issued regularly. Of course, it's not going to help if you have already departed with planned fuel, but often forewarned is forearmed and you can start planning suitable options.
For modern operations, ACARS is a useful tool. In ours, we get TAFs, METARs, SPECIs, SIGMETS, NOTAMS, get our loadsheets, get our clearances, do our take off performance, get new flight plans and do the voyage report all through ACARS.
Also, certain aircraft maintenance functions will be notified through ACARS by the maintenance computers.
Getting information to GA pilots through a text system is not a bad thing. Yachts have had it for a while.
''What volmet can you get whilst transatlantic?''
HF VOLMET.