A Canadian student flies two hours to class instead of paying high rent, saving money while attending university.
Tim Chen is a student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. He has found a surprising way to manage his expenses.
Rather than paying high rent in Vancouver, Tim chooses to fly nearly two hours from his home in Calgary to attend classes.
The final-year student attempted to find a new kind of commuting to save money
Tim is studying economics and is in his final year at UBC.
He originally rented an apartment in Vancouver, but after a recent vacation, he was shocked to discover that rent prices had risen significantly.
The increase meant he would have to pay around $2,500 a month, which he found unmanageable.
Faced with this situation, Tim decided to explore other options.
He thought about his travel time and realized that flying from Calgary to Vancouver took about one hour and 40 minutes.
“Why not just fly back and forth?” he thought.
Calgary is roughly 430 miles east of Vancouver, but air travel reduces the journey to about one hour and 40 minutes.
Chen’s decision reflects a growing trend among students at UBC, some of whom have resorted to living in vans due to soaring rental prices.
For him, the travel felt similar to taking a long bus ride, but it saved him a lot of money.
The student takes nearly 2-hour flight to class weekly to avoid paying rent
Tim only has two classes on campus each week. This limited schedule makes flying a practical choice.
He refers to his travel method as “Super-commuting.”
In January, he completed seven round trips, flying exclusively with Air Canada.
The cost of a round-trip flight is about $111, which totals roughly $890 a month for his travel expenses.
This is far less than the rent he would have to pay for an apartment in Vancouver.
“When I checked the house price I thought, oh shoot, there was a big increase!” he told the outlet.
“I need to pay like $2,500 for the rent, so I don’t feel like it’s viable.”
Living at home with his parents in Calgary allows Tim to save even more money.
He enjoys the comfort of his home while managing his studies.
Tim attends his classes and then heads straight back to the airport for the return flight.
He feels that this unusual commuting method is efficient and financially wise.
“I’ve got three hours of class in total, after the class, I go back to the bus and go back to the airport!” Chen added.
Rising rent prices and alternative housing solutions
Tim’s story has attracted attention, not just because of his unique commuting strategy but also due to the larger issue of housing affordability in major cities.
Vancouver is known as one of the most expensive cities in Canada to live in, and many students face similar challenges with housing costs.
Some students have reported living in vans or making other sacrifices to afford their education.
Tim is not alone in his decision to commute rather than rent. Other students at UBC have also looked for creative solutions to the high cost of living.
“This was the only financially viable option as I couldn’t afford a bachelor suite by myself,” Xelian Louw told CTV News in Oct. 2022.
The university has a large student population, with nearly 60,000 enrolled.
While housing is guaranteed for first-year students, returning students often struggle to find affordable options.