Indian-Origin Mother Commutes by Plane Daily to Balance Work and Family in Malaysia

Racheal Kaur, an AirAsia assistant manager, flies 400 km each way five days a week to maintain her work-life balance and spend evenings with her children.

Racheal Kaur, an assistant manager in AirAsia's finance operations department, commutes daily by plane from Penang to Kuala Lumpur to balance her career and family life.
Her day begins at 4:00 am, and she takes a 5:55 am flight to reach her office by 7:45 am, returning home by 8:00 pm to spend time with her two children, aged 11 and 12.
Kaur adopted this routine in early 2024 after finding that renting a home near her office disrupted her work-life balance; her current arrangement is also more cost-effective.
She uses her flight time as 'me time,' reflecting, praying, and listening to music, and prefers working in the office over remote work for increased productivity.
Social media reactions to her unique commute have ranged from admiration for her dedication to calls for more work-from-home options for working parents.