United vows to do better after third day of massive flight cancellations

For a third consecutive day, United Airlines took it on the nose Wednesday for continuing to cancel hundreds of flights but promised to do better today, despite upsetting holiday travelers and union pilots and flight attendants.

United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy defended the Chicago-based company's actions.

"With our hubs, we were impacted at twice the rate of the industry from (air traffic control) challenges and ground delay programs," McCarthy said. "We extended our operations late into the evening Sunday and proactively canceled flights during lighter travel times to accommodate as many customers as possible."

She said United plans to operate close to a full schedule today, except in Denver where some flights may be canceled as a result of a pending snowstorm.

While winter storms battered many airlines, United canceled the most flights, according to FlightStats.com.

United canceled 121 flights Wednesday, 318 on Tuesday and 146 on Monday, according to data from FlightStats.com, which tracks airline performance.

American Airlines canceled three flights Wednesday and a combined 56 on Monday and Tuesday, the data showed.

United also was battered by union pilots, who have been seeking pay increases and staging pickets at major hubs to protest executive compensation packages throughout the year.

Mark Bathurst, chairman of the United Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement Wednesday United's "mismanagement" left thousands of people stranded needlessly.

"United's management made a feeble attempt to shift the blame to weather for what is becoming an annual debacle -- flight cancellations due to crew shortages when recovering from bad weather. …" Bathurst said.

"It is unconscionable that United would allow this gaping hole in the schedule during the most critical time of year for holiday travelers and then try to shift the blame to acts of God," Bathurst said. "This is nothing but further evidence of a leadership team that is simply incapable of managing a world-class airline."

The United spokeswoman declined to address the union comments. The company also did not specify the number of canceled flights.

While inclement weather doesn't help, United management needed to plan better, the Association of Flight Attendants spokeswoman Sara Nelson said.

"In every December throughout the industry, there has been heavy holiday travel schedules and in every December throughout history, there has been winter storms," said Nelson. "It's a matter of planning."