Are you a happy traveler? 

New research has examined the link between happiness and actually booking a vacation. Not surprisingly, the findings indicate that 70% of Americans say that booking a plane ticket for a vacation brings them happiness. 

Then there’s the mood-elevator metric: The same research indicates travel is more effective than buying material goods — twice as large as happiness derived by buying clothing, jewelry, or home goods, and four times as large as buying electronic goods. 

Of course, what the research can’t predict is how soon the happiness effect disappears if your flight is delayed or canceled.