BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Tough flying for a lot of folks this weekend. Nearly 300 United Airlines flights were canceled, leaving hundreds of weary travelers stranded and angry, from Chicago out to Los Angeles. The airline is blaming pilots for refusing to work overtime since their union contract expired back in April. More now from CNN's Brian Nelson.</s>BRIAN NELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Weary travelers grabbed whatever space they could for their long wait.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We found out our flight was canceled. We got really, really mad, because my dad's supposed to meet us at the airport and he's not going to know.</s>NELSON: All told, close to 300 United flights were canceled over the weekend at O'Hare. But the problems didn't just affect passengers in Chicago. Travelers stacked up on the West Coast, as well.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm on vacation, you know, this is valuable time for me. I've lost a full day now, and will probably lose another full day. If the airline can't adequately schedule its flights and keep to the schedules, they shouldn't be in the business.</s>NELSON: The airline blames pilots who have refused to work overtime since their contract expired in April. Many of the pilots had already worked their allotted weekly hours trying to make up for flights canceled earlier in the week because of bad weather on the East Coast. The pilots' union wouldn't comment on the problems this weekend, but in the past, it has denied that there is an organized effort to refuse overtime work. The problem is one that United has had to deal with several times this year. The airline can't say when the problem might be resolved, but it's been negotiating a new contract with the pilots' union with the help of a federal mediator. Brian Nelson, CNN.
United Travelers Stranded by Nearly 300 Canceled Flights