COMMUTING to and fro can zap the energy out of many workers, depending on how long the journey is.
However, a woman who commutes by air from Penang to Kuala Lumpur five days a week believes the long journey is “well worth the sacrifice”.
“When people find out that I commute by air on a daily basis, I’ve had people react with: ‘Wow,’ ‘Oh my god,’ to ‘Are you crazy?’ but then again, it’s an idea people have yet to digest,” she said in a video by CNA Insider.
Racheal Kaur, who works as an assistant manager of an airline’s finance operations, starts her day at around 4.15am just to reach work by 9am, then flies back to Penang by 7.30 pm
She reaches the airport by 5.55am during boarding time, checks into the flight at 6.30 am, and finally reaches KLIA within 30 to 40 minutes. She clocks in for her job no later than 7.45am
Previously, Racheal used to rent a home in Kuala Lumpur and travel back to Penang to spend time with her family on the weekends, but she made the change for her two children in early 2024.
“I have two kids – with them growing, I feel that the need for the mother to be around more often, and with this arrangement, I’m able to go home every day,” she said.
Racheal’s commuting budget is RM50 a day, totaling RM1,100 a month, with her airline staff discount.
Even though the cost seems quite high compared to the average commute, Racheal said she saves a little bit more compared to when she was living in Kuala Lumpur.
In the video, she said she had to pay between RM1,400 and RM1,500 when she was renting in Kuala Lumpur, compared to her current living arrangements in Penang, where she pays RM1,000 for her house mortgage.
In terms of other expenses, such as food, she estimated her monthly spending at RM600. Whereas when she only commuted to work and had lunch, her monthly costs averaged around RM300, making a significant financial difference for her.
Over the span of 200 flights, Racheal has developed her own routine onboard, making the flights her “me time,” praying or doing some self-reflection for 15 minutes, then listening to music and looking at the scenery outside for the rest of the time.
Racheal also cites better productivity at her job, as she prefers face-to-face communication over working remotely, and mentions that her workplace allows her to have a work-life balance, letting her fully focus on work and focus on her family during her leave.
While Racheal is able to reach Penang by 7:30 pm on most days, it can get hard to do so at certain times of the year, during festive seasons or peak periods.
“Commercial guests (are priority), which is totally understandable, so those are the times it can get a little challenging. But at the end of the day, I do go home, so that is not a problem,” she added.
In the end, Racheal plans to commute to her work this way for the “foreseeable future” despite the long and tiring journey.
