- Josh Nichols commutes from Michigan to Chicago every week for his job as an analyst at United Airlines.
- Nichols enjoys United’s flight privileges, allowing him to travel on standby for his commute.
- Superworking improves Nichols’ work-life balance, allowing him to live in Michigan.
This is an essay as told, based on a conversation with Josh Nichols, a 25-year-old from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who regularly commutes to Chicago for his job as a senior analyst at United Airlines. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
I live in Michigan and my office is in Chicago. I work on customer strategy and innovation as a senior analyst for United Airlines, and our department is hybrid. Most of the time, we operate on Tuesday and Wednesday, and sometimes on Thursday, each week. It’s really nice to have that little bit of flexibility.
When I started the job I was living in Chicago for two years. But I hate Chicago with a passion. There’s so much traffic, it was expensive, it was noisy.
I had heard that several colleagues were doing great job. Just thinking about the quality of life I have back home in Michigan versus the quality of life I had in Chicago, the decision was pretty clear.
After talking with my management and coming to a mutual agreement that they would give me the green light to leave town but I would still have to come to the office, it was a no-brainer.
I am very grateful that our team is flexible in this regard. My management team is very understanding and very accommodating. But I also think it would be a different story if I wasn’t a hard worker or if they had to closely monitor what I do.
Flying from Detroit to Chicago
I normally take a 6am flight from Detroit that lands at Chicago O’Hare also around 6am due to the time difference. After boarding, I usually fall asleep and wake up in Chicago.
I have a United Club Cardso when I arrive, I’ll go there and have some breakfast, then I’ll take the subway downtown to our office in Willis Tower.
I will work in the office all day Tuesday, spend the night in Chicago, and work all day in the office Wednesday. Then I usually take the 7pm flight from Chicago to Michigan. Sometimes I stay another day and take the same evening flight on Thursday.
As for where I’m staying, it’s a good balance of friends and just getting hotel rooms. I have very, very generous friends who I am very grateful for and who allow me to be their local couch potato. Often I treat them to dinner or we just go out together. If I’m staying in a hotel, I usually get one at the airport because it’s cheaper, then take the train there and back.
I use my flying privileges as a United employee
Because I choose to live outside of Chicago, I cannot use our company-provided flights to travel to the office, and the company does not pay for my hotel stays or transportation to and from the office. ‘airport.
Instead, I fly standby with our flying privileges, meaning employees can fly for free if there is a seat available and you are senior enough to get it. By Monday evening, I have a general idea of what the next morning’s flights will be like.
If they don’t look great, I might decide to take the train or make the four hour drive, and possibly leave Monday night. Fortunately, my track record for catching the Tuesday morning flight is pretty good.
When I show up in the morning, I have to wait to see if I’m cleared and given a seat assignment. If I don’t take the 6 a.m. flight, there is also a 7:30 a.m. flight.
I can also buy a ticket as a normal passenger. I try to avoid buying tickets as much as possible, but I have definitely bought a ticket to get to the office, especially around the holidays. This is exactly what I need to do to be responsible and keep my end of the bargain.
I don’t think I would be willing to make this trip if I had to self-fund my flights, drive, or take the train every week.
A better work-life balance
I’ve been doing this for almost two years now. Sometimes this is a challenge because it doesn’t guarantee that I will be able to catch my flight or which return flight I will be able to take. But I’d rather take on these little challenges than live in Chicago.
Living in Michigan, where I’m originally from, is definitely worth it.
I see my parents and grandparents regularly. I can see a lot more of my friends. This has really helped me maintain a healthy social life.
Superworking allows me to maintain good health work-life balance. I still have very strong relationships at work. I maintain the quality of the work I do and I do not miss my days at the office.
For those interested in superwork, I think it’s very important to take stock of what you want from your life and whether you are willing to make certain sacrifices for the quality of life that makes you most happy.
I think the most important thing is that we must not relax. You can’t view virtual work as an opportunity to be mediocre. And if you know yourself, if you’re someone who likes to work less hard when you’re not being bossed around, maybe it’s best not to.