TWU Local 556, which represents Southwest flight attendants, said the disruptions had left 'thousands' of crew members stranded, with some having to sleep on cots in airports or in hotels without power or water, and many working long hours 'well past acceptable duty days.' Attendants calling the airline were left on hold for hours while they attempted to find accommodation and their next routes, the union said. The Department of Transport said Monday it was 'concerned by Southwest's unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service,' adding: 'The department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.' It added: 'We recognize falling short and sincerely apologize.' The Dallas-based airline said it had been 'fully staffed and prepared' for the holiday weekend before the storm 'forced daily changes to our flight schedule.' The company attributed the meltdown to a combination of busy holiday travel and the bitter winter storm that's battered the US. It said it's contacting affected customers to alert them to their options. Southwest said Monday it would operate about one-third of its schedule 'for the next several days' for safety reasons. ET Tuesday, the airline had canceled 2,503 flights for the day and 2,474 for Wednesday. Southwest canceled 71% of its schedule, or 2,909 flights, on Monday, according to data from flight-tracking service FlightAware. He added: 'This is the largest scale event that I've ever seen.'

Southwest airlines news 2014