[gerbal]

How is this new? This is the sort of thing the wealthy and the C-suite have been doing for decades. The internet makes parts of it a little easier, but it's not novel.

The whole conceit of the Concorde was Executives could live in New York and work in London or vice versa.

[bryanlarsen]

This is not just a 1% phenomenon. There are plenty of families where one partner commutes 2-3 hours each way on the greyhound bus because they can't find a job in the same town and can't afford to live on a single income.

[danans]

The examples in this article kind of are a 1% phenomenon. They are an active choice made by the commuters to spend a lot on airfare and (presumably pricey) accommodations, rather than just relocating their family to similarly luxurious accommodations closer to their workplace.

In your example, you're talking about people for whom the choice of living closer never presents itself, due to unaffordability.

The former is a luxury choice, the latter is a forced circumstance.