UBC student flying from Calgary to Vancouver to avoid high rent

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A University of British Columbia (UBC) student is making headlines after sharing that his airplane commute to school between provinces is significantly cheaper than renting a place in Vancouver.

Calgary resident Tim Chen goes to school at UBC in Vancouver and says that opting for flights to his classes is cheaper than paying for monthly rent in Vancouver.

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He took to Reddit to share his experience and to see if others felt the same about skyrocketing rent prices in the coastal city.

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In the original post shared to Reddit six days ago, Chen called himself a “super commuter at UBC” thanks to living in Calgary, saying he goes to class twice a week, flying to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in the morning and returning to Calgary International Airport (YYC) at night.

“I’ve been flying on Air Canada for all these flights, and for Jan, I did 7 round trips like this.”

He added that he considers he’s saving money since he doesn’t need to pay rent in Calgary due to living with his parents, except “just casually paying for utilities,” making it much cheaper than renting a one-bedroom for $2,000 or more in Vancouver.

His unique post quickly drew tons of attention, with many responses shocked at the incredible lengths Chen goes to to attend his classes each week.

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But surprisingly, others in the comments shared they do the same thing and can see the logic behind it.

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Peers were also in the comments looking for tips, and Chen had some advice for them, suggesting they look into the Air Canada student flight pass.

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Chen’s airplane commute might be a shocking alternative, but for those facing the Vancouver rental market, his reasoning might make more sense.

According to Zumper, rent in Vancouver in January hovered around $2,700 on average for a one-bedroom per month and $3,890 for a two-bedroom, which is unattainable for the majority of Canadians, let alone students.

Daily Hive reached out to Chen for comment and the UBC but, as of writing, have yet to hear back.

What do you think of someone flying to classes to save money on rent prices? Let us know in the comments below.

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