Two men looking at a laptop screen representing meaningful ways to engage with Youth Day.

Flying with the boss and boomers? A young pro's guide to business travel

You've landed your spot on the company travel roster. Exciting? Yes. A rite of passage? Certainly. But you're also about to join a phenomenon rising in the workplace: multi-generational travel.

Also known as 3G or intergenerational travel, this trend traditionally describes leisure holidays involving three or more generations. But increasingly, it applies to corporate travel too - with teams made up of Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Zs all jetting off together for conferences or regional offsites, each bringing along their own expectations, habits and airport survival strategies.

So, what does that mean if you’re the youngest in-flight? Here’s your Youth Day guide on how to navigate it gracefully.

Pre-boarding wisdom: communication & etiquette

You’re breezing through security — digital boarding pass ready — and then you glance back to see your colleague stuck at the biometric scanner.

DO be the quietly competent tech-savvy one.

If someone's fumbling with the scanner, this is your moment to offer calm assistance, not commentary. A simple, “Sometimes it helps to shift your passport slightly to the left,” is far more effective than a sigh and an unsolicited tutorial.

DON’T lean too hard into Gen Z speak.

"This flight is giving Monday-core chaos" might land in your group chat, but probably not with your department lead. Stick to something straightforward like, "There's a bit of a queue - I’ll keep an eye on the gate info for us.”

Seating strategy: the boss next to you problem

A young woman working on a laptop while seated in an airplane seat representing meaningful ways to engage with Youth Day.

Ah, the moment you board and realise your seatmate… is your boss. For 12 hours.

DO pop in an AirPod and say, “Going to catch up on a podcast before we land - let me know if you need anything!”

DON'T pretend to already be asleep during boarding to avoid small talk.

Hotel habits: the culture clashes hit home

Here’s where generational preferences become crystal clear. Boomers may be at breakfast by 6:45 a.m., carefully layering various mueslis. Gen X will turn up with strategic brevity and an eye on the first meeting. Millennials? They’ve scoped out a coffee spot nearby. Gen Z? You could be ten floors up with a reusable cup, a wellness app and an oat latte already on order.

DO observe and adapt.

Join colleagues when it makes sense, but don’t feel you need to follow every ritual. Sometimes, the best contribution is suggesting the team grab lunch somewhere local - it’s both collaborative and true to your generation’s values.

DON’T mock anyone’s loyalty to a decades-old hotel chain.

There's a reason that status upgrade means so much, and you'll probably have your favourites one day too.

Tech etiquette: being the unofficial IT support

You’ve barely unzipped your laptop and someone’s already asking how to connect to the hotel Wi-Fi. Whether it’s Bluetooth, backup batteries or boarding apps, your digital fluency won’t go unnoticed - or uncalled upon.

DO be helpful, but keep it low-key.

A quiet “Want me to send that link to the group?” or “Sometimes it helps to refresh the page” signals calm rather than condescension and keeps things moving with minimal fuss.

DON’T treat every glitch like content.

Not every moment needs to be documented or turned into a story caption. Resist the urge to live-post the onboarding process or the seating chart. There’s time for that later.

Sustainability signals: the values-based traveller dilemma

An older man standing at the hotel reception representing meaningful ways to engage with Youth Day.

You’ve just noticed your hotel has more bottled water than recycling options. You’re not wrong to care. The data backs you. According to SAP Concur nearly 1 in 4 Gen Z travellers would think twice about a trip that doesn't align with their values, of which sustainability is numero uno.

DO start the conversation — gently.

Questions like “Does this hotel track carbon usage?” show initiative and bring your awareness into the room without making it about you.

DON’T call out every bottled water or paper-heavy handout.

Sustainability isn’t a competition. A quiet nudge or considered choice often lands better and does more than a lecture.

Contribute confidently: turning awareness into action

While you may be the newest member of the team, that doesn’t mean you can’t shape the journey. At Corporate Traveller, we know younger professionals bring a fresh lens to business travel.

The key is contributing with curiosity, not ego: ask thoughtful questions, offer practical input and keep your team’s goals in sight. Being a team player doesn’t mean fading into the background - it means showing up with awareness and initiative to help make the trip a success for everyone.

Want to give your travel policy a multi-generational travel edge? Get in touch with Corporate Traveller — we get travellers of every generation.

About Flight Centre Travel Group
The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.