A woman has explained why she flies to work every weekday instead of living in the same city as her job.
AirAsia worker Racheal Kaur leaves her Penang home at about 5am from Monday to Friday.
She drives to the airport, catches a flight to Kuala Lumpur and returns the same day.
The round trip sees her back home at around 7:00pm.
Breaking down her morning, she says: “Usually, I’m up around 4 am, 4:10 am, 4:15 am at the latest. And then, I am showered, dressed, and I leave my home by 5 am.
“And then I take a slow drive to the airport, boarding is at 5:55 am, so it gives me plenty of time to, you know, park my car, put on my shoes, walk over, get myself boarded, check into the flight, sit down.”
The mom says she gets to spend more time with her kids (Newsflash)
The flight lasts roughly 30–40 minutes.
Her office sits a five-minute walk from the airport, so she is in work “no later than 7:45am“.
When asked why she lives in a different city from her workplace, she points to cost and family time.
She says flying and then walking to the office helps her avoid Kuala Lumpur traffic.
Racheal pays for most of her tickets but receives an employee discount.
She adds rent in Penang runs lower than in Kuala Lumpur.
A woman has opened up about commuting to work by plane every day (Newsflash)
She says her mortgage in Penang is about MYR 1,000 (around $224).
By contrast, she says renting in Kuala Lumpur would cost about MYR 1,500 (around $336).
“I’m able to go home every day, I’m able to see my kids at night, and help out with any last-minute homework,” she continues.
Her eldest child is 12 and her other daughter is 11, and she feels they need her around more often.
She is not alone.
In 2023, a TikToker revealed she chose to fly and then take a taxi to her internship because it cost less than renting in New York City or New Jersey.