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For most people, a daily work commute involves traffic jams or packed trains, but for this Indian-origin mother in Malaysia, it means boarding a flight to and from her office.
Racheal Kaur, an assistant manager in AirAsia's finance operations department, wakes up at 4 am to catch her 5:55 am flight from Penang to Sepang to balance work and time with her children.
"With them growing, I feel that the need for their mother to be around more often," Ms Kaur told CNA Insider in an interview. With this arrangement, she is able to go home every day and see them every night.
Previously, Ms Kaur rented a home in Kuala Lumpur and only visited her family in Penang on weekends. But with two children aged 11 and 12, she made the decision to commute five days a week by air.
"I can help them with any last-minute homework. You know kids, there's always something last-minute," she added.
This aerial commute is actually more cost-effective for the mother-of-two. Renting a home in Kuala Lumpur costs her RM1,400 to RM1,500 per month (Rs 24,500 - Rs 26,250). Now, using her AirAsia staff discount, she spends RM50 per flight - totalling RM1,100 monthly (Rs 19,250). Even her food expenses have dropped from RM600 (Rs 10,500) to RM300 (Rs 5,250), saving her about RM700 (Rs 12,250) overall.
Her flights, which typically last 30 to 40 minutes for a distance of around 400 km, ensure she reaches her office by 7:45 am. She returns home to Penang by 7:30 pm, though festive seasons sometimes make getting a seat tricky. Standby travellers like her often have to wait for available seats. "Those are the times it gets challenging. You get a little anxious as to whether you'll be on that flight. But at the end of the day, I do go home, so it's not a problem," she explained.
Earlier, a mother-son duo at AT&T gained attention for their unique work-life balance. While working in different departments - one in events and the other in accounting - they regularly schedule lunch dates and meet outside of work.