Fox Sports’ Landon Donovan, Ian Darke blast United Airlines over delayed-flight fiasco

World Cup broadcasters, they’re just like us!

When the FIFA World Cup is hosted by three very large countries like the United States, Mexico, and Canada, you have to go to great lengths to travel between matches.

That’s especially true for broadcasters who are covering different games in different cities every few days.

And as anyone who has ever used air travel can tell you, sometimes you end up in a fiasco.

That appears to be what happened with Sunday’s United Airlines flight 404 from Houston to Newark. The June 14 flight faced massive delays and a diversion to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. The flight was so delayed that a pilot reached their maximum flight time while sitting on the runway in the early morning, leaving passengers stranded, reportedly without hotel vouchers.

Fox Sports play-by-play voice Ian Darke and analyst Landon Donovan were among those on the ill-fated flight. And they voiced their frustrations on social media on Monday.

“Every passenger on [United 404] from Houston to Newark will think twice about using that airline again,” wrote Darke on X. “Delayed, diverted, reboarded, then pilot says shift ‘ timed out’ as about to take off from Dulles. Still there 5 hours later. No hotel offer.”

“I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” added Donovan. “No transparency, no clarity, and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from [United].”

I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life. No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from @united https://t.co/K4ra5vf0q0

— Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) June 15, 2026

After Donovan received a standard X response from the airline, he said he wanted to keep the conversation public to ensure maximum accountability.

“You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused,” he replied.

Darke also shared a video of himself and Donovan in a car post flight-fiasco, with the former U.S. soccer star catching some Zs in the backseat.

The secret World Cup … pic.twitter.com/w7Hc6U5GGx

— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) June 15, 2026

While some came to the defense of the airline, saying that strict FAA rules are in place to prevent pilot fatigue and calling out larger issues currently surrounding the airline industry and how that’s impacting travel, that can be small consolation when your flight has already been delayed, and you feel like you’re not getting the communication you need from the airline.

Donovan’s demand for reimbursement also probably won’t be resolved, as the Trump Administration ditched a Biden Administration proposal last year that would have required airlines to compensate delayed travelers.

In case you’re wondering, Qatar Airways is the Official Global Airline Partner for the World Cup, while American Airlines is the Official North American Airline Supplier for the tournament, so don’t expect FIFA to be bothered by the public spat.