Junior colleagues disrupt company director's business trip for industry award, complain when she takes flight without them because they were sightseeing: 'I’m leaving for the airport at 4 pm sharp'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 4, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

Few parts of having a career are more daunting than taking those very first steps in it. These days, the hiring process is so complicated and stressful that it can feel like an actual job is little more than a pipe dream, and once one is secured, there is a deluge of different rules, processes, and dynamics to learn if surviving that first performance review is going to be a possibility. A new hire has a lot to think about once they have their foot in the door.

This often means that younger employees make mistakes as they become accustomed to their roles. Any company worth working for is going to accommodate that, up to a point. A key part of the process is that people show a willingness to listen to advice and learn from what they do wrong. If they can't do that even with frequent reminders and adjustments, it doesn't bode well for their professional future.

 

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  • AITAH for still getting on a flight home when my two young coworkers I was traveling with weren’t at the airport yet and were obviously going to miss it?

    TL;DR: Went on a work trip with two junior employees (not on my team) and they missed the flight home because they went sight-seeing the day we were leaving. I still got on flight even though they weren't at the airport. Long version - This past week I was presented with an industry award in Nashville that an agency partner nominated me for. I am a Director at my company. My Co decided to send two junior- level employees to the event as well because they thought it would be a good experience for
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • They were VERY excited to be going. This was going to be the Specialist's first time on a plane, lots of Teams chats asking what to wear, etc. We were flying in Thursday morning and leaving Friday evening so it was a very short trip, but I tried to help share info about the event (types of attendees, awards reception/presentation Thursday night with a country western theme, then I was speaking on a panel Friday morning).
    via Diligent_Pineapple35

  • This was a frustration that a company director found herself dealing with after her co-director opted to send two junior employees with her to collect an industry award on a business trip to Nashville. She did not usually work with these employees, who were a summer intern and a specialist who had recently graduated from college.

    Throughout the trip, she encountered issues with their professional conduct, including ignoring professional dress codes and avoiding networking opportunities with other colleagues in the industry. The final straw came when, despite multiple reminders, the pair failed to turn up in time for their return flight.

    The company director found herself dealing with her upset junior coworkers as well as one of their moms when she landed. This led to the director being asked to attend a Monday morning meeting with their superior, leaving her wondering if she was wrong.

  • a blond woman wearing a travel pillow and an eye mask looks on her phone while sat on a plane
    via Andrej Lišakov (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • There's so much I could say, but I'll try to highlight key points: • Specialist barely made Thursday AM flight because she doesn't have a Real ID and had to do extra screening. She had no idea what a Real ID was, or the basic rules of flying (liquid restrictions, etc.) She was VERY upset they made her throw away some of her skincare that was over 3oz. • Thurs night event was country western theme, and while a majority of people there were business casual, Intern shows up in a bandana tube top, m
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • • After ceremony I invite them to join me with some colleagues I knew from other Companies in the hotel bar, but they tell me they want to "check out Broadway". I make a face and say this would be a good networking opportunity, they make "c'mon mom" jokes, and so I tell them to be safe and remind them the time and location of first session the next day. • Text them around 11pm that I hope they got back safe, no response. Went to bed. Text them the next morning offering to meet them for coffee be
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • two women wearing black talk with each other while holding drinks
    via Michael Discenza

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • • Have about 2 hours after event is over and before we need to go to the airport, I invite them to late lunch with our agency partners. They decline because they want to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Again, make a face and say I don't know if they will have time and I think it would be a good opportunity for them to spend time with our agency. They act like I'm the wet blanket so I tell them I'm leaving for airport from the hotel at 4pm sharp and meet me in lobby so we can share a Lyft.
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • • Text them when I get to airport and tell them security line is long (neither had pre-check), no response. • Text them when I get to gate to please give me some sign of life, Intern sends very short response about 10 mins later: "In Lyft, there's traffic." Nothing else. • Text them flight is starting to board, no response. • Text them when I'm in my seat that boarding is about to end, no response. • Doors close, they don't make it, put my phone in airplane mode.
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • the nashville skyline at dusk
    via Josh Hild (Unsplash+)
  • Land a couple hours later to a barrage of texts from them. They're "stranded in Nashville", don't know what to do, how to rebook, who to call for help, etc. I also have an angry voicemail from Specialist's mom that I "abandoned her daughter in Nashville", she has never flown and has anxiety, she's having a panic attack at the airport and needs medical attention, she could be human trafficked (???). I call Specialist and Intern back, both phones ring but neither pick up. Text to see if they were
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • Also have text from their Director (don't know her well, just started with Co a couple weeks ago) asking what's going on. I send her brief overview and screenshots of all my unanswered texts to them from earlier in the day along with the transcript of the vm I got from the mom. She acknowledges my response, but no further dialogue. Now, I get an invite for a Monday morning meeting from that Director with their VP and our C-Suite leader. My VP is on PTO. I feel like these are adults, I was commun
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • a blond woman walks through an airport wearing a holdall
    via Arthur Edelmans

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Commenters were taken back by the behavior of the junior colleagues.

    MissHibernia I think that OP went incredibly above and beyond here considering that it was a WORK EVENT SHE WAS RECEIVING AN AWARD AT so to have these junior idiots causing any type of fuss was really an unnecessary hassle for her when it should have been a personal celebration
    via MissHibernia
  • Diligent Pineapple35 OP Okay thank you so much for saying this because I took it out of my main post since it was so long already, but I made a short acceptance speech after getting the award. I worked really hard on it and practiced a lot. It was only like 90 seconds but I asked Specialist and Intern to film it for me because I wanted to share it with my team members who helped me with it. Left my phone with them and everything but they "forgot" and that kind of upset me. It's obvi not the end
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • PlantsCatsCuc 100% NTA you were more than communicative. What were you supposed to do, not get on your flight?! No. Just go into the meeting calm, and focus on the facts. You're not a babysitter.
    via PlantsCatsCuc
  • TellThem SaidHi What were you supposed to do This is the important question. If you're going to tell me that my action/decision was wrong, then you also need to tell me what was right/what was expected of me. Should OP have not gotten in the Lyft? How long should OP have waited at the hotel? Once at the airport, should OP declined to board? What about OP's luggage that's already been checked? The kids screwed up. Not OP.
    via TellThemISaidHi
  • lychigo You were there as their coworker, not as their mother. Firstly, no one should be expecting you to take care of them in that way. They're adults. And even when you did offer them direction and support, they didn't even have the decency to get back to you. And a call from her mom? Good Christ. I would come prepared with documentation and also let your supervisor know, even if they're on PTO that this is what was happening.
    via lychigo
  • Apprehensive _Mark_20 They seem to have mistaken a business trip for a vacation. Also they acted irresponsibly around time, dressing, and networking possibilities. None of this is your fault. You are not their mother. You treated them like the adults they are, the fact that they didn't act like adults is not on you NTA.
    via Apprehensive_Mark_20
  • Rebecca MCullen After their behavior on this trip, I'll be surprised if they ever get a chance to go on another company funded trip, let alone still have a job.
    via RebeccaMCullen
  • BralVd The call from the mom is what sends this over the edge for me. They're adults on a work trip, not a school field trip. You're not their chaperone. I have a feeling that Monday meeting isn't going to be about you. NTA
    via BralVd
  • 4me2knowit Did they do ANYTHING work related? I'd sack them
    via 4me2knowit
  • Diligent Pineapple35 OP When we arrived on Thursday they did attend the opening keynote speaker and a couple of breakout sessions. It just started to go downhill at the awards ceremony/reception.
    via Diligent_Pineapple35
  • H IIn D mnation NTA. They're adults with big girl jobs now. They didn't show any sort of professionalism while on a work trip representing the company. You have a text trail to show that you did your best. I think you went over and above what you needed to do for them.
    via Hlln_Dmnation
  • Lorathis NTA and I agree with everyone else. I'll add that there's a 99.9% chance the meeting is just you reiterating your story before they get reprimanded/fired. 0.1% chance they're related to a c-suite and you get in trouble - which means you need to start looking for another job. Again, this is super unlikely, but I've seen crazier things in my corporate time.
    via Lorathis
  • Key_Employment4536 I've been in that exact situation, and I was also called into the bosses office basically so we can figure out how we're going to let these partiers go. I wouldn't worry about it.
    via Key_Employment4536
  • Alternative-Golf8281 How the mother got your number is concerning. Do employees know they aren't supposed to give out coworker's personal info? I'd ensure HR will be at this meeting on Monday to schedule corrective training for these children.
    via Alternative-Golf8281
  • Best-Giraffe8851 They treated this like a vacation instead of work. And this was honestly a fuck around find out situation. You aren't their mother and they're old enough to be responsible. Time to be adults and figure out how to get home. NTA
    via Best-Giraffe8851

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work coworkers business trip aita Awards employee manager nashville employees complaint reddit thread Reddit entitled people
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