Introduction -- You don't take enough vacation: the curse of expensive flights -- Travel as medicine: how cheap flights lead to happier trips (and more of them) -- The flight first method: a better way to search -- Flexibility: using it to your advantage (and what to do when you don't have any) -- Then and now: a brief history of how airlines determine prices -- The golden age of cheap flights: how and why everyone can now afford to fly -- Unpredictable and irrational: why airfare is so volatile -- The fundamentals: answers to everyday flight-booking questions -- Clear your cookies: nine flight-booking myths debunked -- Should you take that trip? How to think about overtourism and emissions -- The unexpected joys of travel: how to get better at vacationing -- Pro tips: advanced flight-booking tactics to maximize your vacation -- Conclusion.