Most flight search engines show you a matrix. Outbound flights on one axis, return flights on the other, with prices at every intersection. It's a spreadsheet cosplaying as a user interface. You're supposed to find the optimal cell in a grid of 200+ combinations while also remembering which flights don't land at midnight.
We don't do that. monk.flights shows you outbound flights first. Just those. Pick the one that works for your departure day. Then — and only then — the return flights appear, each showing a combined agony score that factors in both legs.
Combined Agony: One Number for the Whole Trip
The combined agony score is the average of your outbound and return scores. If your outbound is a zen-like 12 and a return option is a soul-crushing 88, the combined is 50 — 'meh' territory. This single number tells you whether the TOTAL trip experience is worth it. Because a great outbound flight doesn't help much if the return makes you question air travel as a concept.
The Sticky Bar
After picking outbound, a summary bar appears at the bottom of the screen — airline, route, departure time, agony, price. It follows you as you browse returns. Click 'Change' to go back. The selected flight is never invisible. This is a rule we feel strongly about, mostly because we've rage-quit other booking sites that hide your selection behind three clicks and a loading spinner.
