Delayed flights? Lost luggage?

If only.

After last week’s column posted, my inbox exploded. Turns out, some managers’ professionalism flies away somewhere between the boarding gate and baggage claim.

A few greatest hits:

“Karen” refused to file PTO for travel days because she “got so much work done on the plane” — and thought the company owed her lattes and airport meals for her heroic sacrifices. Every time she flew.

A senior manager brought a woman he’d just met on the flight to a high-stakes client dinner. She introduced herself as “a serial entrepreneur … of sorts,” dominated the table with off-color jokes, and tanked the mood faster than a missed connection.

Another manager invited his romantic partner to share his hotel suite. His junior colleague? Banished to the couch. The front desk, mystified by three names on the reservation, accidentally checked them in as a throuple. Word spread faster than their expense reports.

One team lead envisioned late-night tequila tastings and a rousing game of Truth or Dare as inspired team-bonding experiences. HR had a field day with those reports.

Here’s the reality:

Business trips combine high stakes with low structure and blur the lines between work and personal decision-making. Without clear expectations, people default to what feels easy, familiar — or, in some cases, wildly reckless. If you don’t draw those lines clearly and in writing, someone else may doodle wavy ones that veer straight into trouble.

Travel policies:

Here are five rules to hand your managers and employees — before you buy their tickets:

1. Define when the workday actually ends

If you expect work talk over dinner or drinks, say so. If off-hours are truly personal time, say that too. But don’t leave it vague. When a dinner still involves strategy sessions and napkin diagrams, that’s work — and whoever’s at the table impacts your team’s cohesion and confidentiality.

2. Ban surprise plus-ones

Friends, dates, “connections from the flight” — none should appear without prior clearance, or you risk an unfortunate hijacking. And no overnight guests in shared accommodations. Your employees didn’t sign up for reality TV.

3. Spell out after-hours conduct

Yes, adults should know better. And yet — drinking to excess, roping coworkers into uncomfortable activities, or forgetting basic professionalism at hotel bars — all may happen with your company’s reputation (and liability) on the line.

4. Clarify what’s company-sponsored (and what’s not)

Make it clear what’s reimbursable.

Spoiler: Romantic lobster dinners? Bottles of Dom for new “connections”? Third rounds of craft cocktails for non-employees? Not on the company card.

5. Give employees permission to opt out

Not everyone wants to join the pub crawl or late-night karaoke marathon. Make it explicitly OK to bow out without penalty or judgment.

What happens if you don’t?

Ask the mid-sized tech consultancy that sent three senior managers to Vegas to woo a major client. One charismatic, married manager brought a woman he’d met on the plane to dinner. Stilettos. Rhinestone mini dress. The client asked, “Do all managers at your company mix business with pleasure?”

The deal collapsed. Internally, his teammates admitted they no longer trusted him. HR opened a review. His reputation? Wrecked beyond repair.

Or the startup CEO who wanted to avoid “corporate vibes.” Two employees hooked up on a retreat; a third felt coerced into raunchy drinking games. Without a clear policy, legal wound up cutting a six-figure settlement check.

Or the regional manager who kept bringing his “friend” on trips — until employees realized she worked for a direct competitor.

The bottom line? On the road, your brand walks around in human form. Every wine-fueled joke, every unauthorized guest, every too-casual encounter leaves a mark that risks deals, talent and trust. If you wouldn’t allow the behavior in the office, don’t turn a blind eye to it on the road.