Flight attendants' union says Southwest Airlines failed workers: 'This impacts lives and threatens safety for all'

Canceled flights forced people to spend Christmas at the airport, and now it could take them days to get home. 

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 50% of its traffic through Denver International Airport according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service. More than one thousand flights nationwide were canceled according to representatives from the airline.

"Our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning," the company said in a statement on its website.  

At Denver International Airport, the lines were long, and patience was razor thin Monday, as post-holiday travel was at times nightmarish 

Ashleigh McManus spent the morning camped out above security, after her early morning flight with Spirit Airlines was canceled due to a staffing issue minutes after it was supposed to board.  With few other options, she wound up leaving eight hours later for a city more than 150 miles from her destination.  

"It's an additional hour-and-a-half-commute for the people picking me up and it's an additional $200 out of pocket I won't be reimbursed," she said. "Will I get stranded again? Being in the unknown is what's most disturbing."  

McManus was among thousands of travelers with changed or spoiled plans thanks to cancellations and delays, a large majority of which were with Southwest Airlines. 

"If I knew what I know now, I would have not come here today," said Scott Goodrich.  

Goodrich was lucky enough to rebook a flight to Milwaukee after his original flight home to Chicago was canceled.  Many others weren't as fortunate and waited on hold or in long lines at the airport for hours. 

"I really wonder what all these people are going to do, whether they wind up staying overnight, because this is not good," Goodrich said.  

In a statement, Southwest said, "consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our Customers and Employees in a significant way that is unacceptable."  

While the company said its agents are re-accommodating as many customers as possible, it also warned of additional changes heading into the new year.  

"The plan was to get out of here by now," said Amenit Alvarez. "I was supposed to be home for Christmas."

After two canceled flights since Thursday, Alvarez decided to wait and try rebooking later in the week. While she has friends to stay with, she knows other travelers don't have the same luxury.  

"This will be my second time flying ever, so not a great first impression," she said.  

Southwest representatives said the airline was fully staffed heading into the holiday weekend, but on Monday, the union representing some Southwest flight attendants criticized the airline for failing its employees.  

"The way Southwest Airlines has treated its flight crews can only be termed 'despicable,'" said Lyn Montgomery, president of TWU Local 556.  

"We know the demands of holiday travel. We know winter storms. And believe me, we know about stepping up and putting in long work hours when we are called to do so; we are flight attendants. But at this point, the many years of failure by management, despite many unions' demands to modernize, has left flight attendants fatigued, stranded, hungry and cold – on Christmas! This impacts lives and threatens safety for all."