Flight Attendant Suffers Through 14-Hour Commute Back and Forth to Work

In the city that never sleeps, New York, a vibrant young male flight attendant has gone viral for revealing he travels a staggering seven-hour commute both to and from work — a grind like no other.

One of the most critical parts of Malick Mercier’s job is ensuring he makes it to work on time. That’s because he’s not just any commuter. He’s a supercommuter. He travels seven hours each way to work as a flight attendant who lives in Los Angeles, California, but is based out of New York City.

Ever since Mercier was a youngster, he has been obsessed with planes and what he would come to find out was the aviation industry. He always dreamt of becoming a flight attendant, so realizing the dream was nothing short of amazing for him. He’s originally from Brooklyn and starting out, he was living there with his mom rent-free, but knew it was time for him to venture out on his own. He moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. The weather was depressing and bringing his energy all the way down.

Mercier decided he wanted to be in Los Angeles, where the creative souls live, and so he headed out West. He had been enjoying his time there on layovers.

“The airline has no idea where you live and originate from each and every day so long as you make it to work on time,” he said.

Mercier never complains because his free time on his way to work and going home from work is an opportunity to grow in another area. He could be reading a book or learning another language. After a ride on the Q70 to LaGuardia, a trip to Starbucks, and a few sprays of Downy Wrinkle Release, he’s basically ready for work.

Paying close attention to detail and time management are both critical elements to successfully being a supercommuter that flies cross country daily. He is constantly looking at flight schedules and booking flights to get him to work on time — early if possible. But that’s the hardest part. Once he’s there, he’s rocking and rolling, and he loves it. Mercier doesn’t think he could make the large sacrifice if he weren’t doing something that he loves.

What sacrifice would you be willing to make for a job that you loved?

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