Calgary Student’s Air Commute Hack Grabs Attention Amid Vancouver Rent Woes

A University of British Columbia (UBC) student from Calgary has captured attention for his unconventional approach to avoiding rental expenses while attending classes in Vancouver. Tim Chen, the student in question, has revealed that he opts to fly to his university twice a week instead of renting accommodation in the pricey Vancouver housing market.

Chen, who only attends two classes per week at UBC, has calculated that the cost of round-trip flights from Calgary, totaling roughly $150 each, amounts to nearly $1200 per month. In comparison, renting a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver would set him back around $2100 monthly.

Taking to Reddit to share his unique strategy, Chen explained, ”As titled, I’m a super commuter at UBC and I live in Calgary. I have two days that need to go to school for class (Tues and Thu), I fly to Vancouver in the morning and return to Calgary at night. I’ve been flying on Air Canada for all these flights, and for Jan, I did 7 round trips like this. I found there’s saving on rent since I don’t need to pay rent in Calgary (live with my parents) except just casually paying for utilities, and it’s much cheaper than renting a 1b for 2k for more in Vancouver.”

While some Reddit users were impressed by Chen’s ingenuity, others expressed concerns about the potential drawbacks of frequent air travel, such as scheduling inflexibility and the hassle of airport commutes.

Commenters offered mixed reactions, with one acknowledging the manageable one-hour flight duration but highlighting the inconvenience of frequent airport visits. Another remarked humorously, ”Modern Problem requires Modern Solutions!”

Some users praised Chen’s potential accumulation of frequent flyer miles and the prospect of airline perks, while others emphasized the practicality of his cost-saving approach, especially when compared to the high expenses of living in Vancouver.

In response to the challenges faced by students grappling with Vancouver’s housing affordability crisis, UBC’s Associate Vice-President of Student Housing and Community Services, Andrew Parr, expressed empathy and reiterated the university’s commitment to addressing the issue through the construction of below-market housing.

”We recognize that finding affordable rental accommodation in Vancouver and Kelowna is a challenge for some of our students, as it is for others renting in the communities. In Vancouver, it is especially difficult,” Mr. Parr told Daily Hive.