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Mohamed Marikar's typical trip to his office in London takes three and a half hours. On a bad day, more than four.
The senior manager at RBC Wealth Management is one of a growing breed of “supertravelers,” many of whom moved out of town during the pandemic to increase their living space in more affordable areas, and now travel long distances to their workplaces part of the week.
The proportion of passengers globally who take a 90- to 120-minute flight at least once a week rose from 2.4 percent in 2020 to just over 4 percent in 2024, according to Euromonitor. The percentage of those traveling more than 120 minutes increased from 2.7 percent to 3.4 percent.
Maricar and his wife, who runs her own business, moved with their four children from Eastcote, north-west London, to North Wales in 2022. Instead of his previous 75-minute daily commute, Marikar wakes up at 5am on a Tuesday morning and goes to work. He's in his office around 10 a.m. — and works a later shift so he can overlap with his colleagues in Toronto. He returns to Wales after work on Thursday. On Mondays and Fridays, he works from home.
Marikar sometimes ponders the wisdom of his move when stuck in heavy traffic, but in the end he is happy. “I noticed a difference in the air. There is so much more we can do on weekends with the kids. Even when they lived in London, coming home for dinner was very rare.
Love Whelchel now travels to his job in New York from Miami, having moved from New Jersey. He usually spends two weeks at home and then a week on the move. Even though he gets away a lot, he says the time he spends with his family is of the best quality. “It gave me some balance and focus. It was a great time to spend with my teenage son. When I was moving around New York, I barely saw him.”
Some employers are trying to ease the financial burden on long-distance passengers besides allowing them to work part of the week from home and offering rail season ticket loans. For Maricar, what was a game-changer was his company's arrangements to finance electric cars paid for through salary sacrifice – an increasingly popular benefit among employers – which prompted him to switch from trains, which can cost up to around £350 a week. to drive, which is just under £50. “The journey is longer. [But] You don't need to adhere to train times. If the train [delayed] I'm not stuck.
Adam Wyman, recruitment partner at law firm Travers Smith, says companies tend not to incentivize commuting but will offset travel and accommodation costs for some high performers. “Companies with a skills gap are looking more broadly than before. They can recruit someone in another country and pay for them to come to the office wherever and whenever.” He also notes a post-pandemic trend of some companies offering appreciation packages to employees who want to Retaining them and moving to other countries to be closer to their families.
Supporting travel more broadly could be contentious, says David Wreford, a partner at consulting firm Mercer, especially since there is already debate over whether wages for remote workers should be adjusted for the local area.
The pandemic has intensified pre-existing trends, says Andrew Wilson, UK director of communications and responsible banking at Santander Bank. “The whole 'Willis' culture [work in London, live in Edinburgh] It's been there for years and a lot of people do it due to London's importance to finance. However, as hybrid working becomes more widespread, “weeks are not as long as they used to be, and there is more balance.”
“People who go back to their offices tend to stay fewer nights — commonly just three or even two nights a week,” says Judy Niner, founder of Monday-Friday, which matches people with empty rooms with part-time renters. While it used to be four or five, they seem to want to pack up their office work in the shortest possible time and get out of the city and home.
However, long flights can take their toll. “A very early start to the day means that by the end of the commuting day you are tired,” says Wilson, who leaves home at 5am on a Monday or Tuesday to catch a plane from Edinburgh and returns on a Wednesday or Thursday. Some of his colleagues do the same between London and Madrid. “When I was younger it was easier.”
Costs can also be high. While Danny Riding, a lawyer at Travers Smith, owns a four-bedroom house in rural Wales, a significant swap from his previous one-bed rental in London, he probably pays around £1,500 a month to travel and rent a room. Close to work. “If you think about it that way, comparing house prices isn't great.”
Learning to become a guest expert was key for Max Dawes, chief operating officer of Zappar, an augmented reality platform, who moved with his wife from London to the Isle of Wight four years ago. Dawes traded his 20-minute walk for a four-hour trip by train and ferry, arriving Wednesday and departing late Thursday night. “I have a group of family members and friends who are sick. I stay out of the way when their kids go to bed [and do] Don't insist on going out for a beer.
It's been a “complete shift in mindset,” he says, though he's not “afraid to move around.” “It's productive for long periods of time. When I'm traveling late on a Thursday night I read a book. When you have young children, time to yourself is an escape.
Series: Return navigation
After lockdowns interrupted daily routines, workers are now back at their offices and need to travel to get there. But mobility has changed in unexpected ways.
Part 1: Mobility is back, but not as we know it
Part Two: Super Passenger Boarding
Part Three: Zen and the art of moving outside areas
