From Monday to Friday, AirAsia employee Racheal Kaur begins her day at the crack of dawn in Penang, Malaysia. By 5 a.m., she’s out the door and heading to the airport for her short flight to Kuala Lumpur. The trip takes just 40 minutes, and by the evening, she’s flying back home, usually returning around 7 p.m.
Explaining her intense morning schedule, 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.”
The flight itself takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes, and thanks to her office being just a five-minute walk from the airport, she’s usually at her desk by 7:45 a.m.
But what made her decide to live in a different city and take daily flights instead of moving closer to her workplace?
By commuting via plane and working so close to the airport, she avoids the notoriously bad traffic congestion in Kuala Lumpur, which could otherwise add hours to her daily travel time.
Although she pays for her own flights, she receives an employee discount, making the cost manageable. She also points out that rent in Penang is far more affordable compared to Kuala Lumpur.
She emphasizes how much this setup benefits her family, adding: “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,”
Her eldest child is 12, and her youngest is 11, and she strongly believes they need their mother around as much as possible during these formative years.
In 2023, a TikToker went viral after revealing she also commuted by plane, followed by a taxi, to get to her internship.
The reason? It was still cheaper than paying for rent in New York City or New Jersey.
