Women appear to be more effective planners than men when arranging business travel, a habit that can save their employers substantial amounts on travel expenses.
A recent analysis published by the Harvard Business Review examined differences in booking behavior between men and women. Researchers analyzed a 2014 dataset of 6.4 million flight reservations and found that, on average, women booked their flights about two days earlier than men.
Because last-minute fares are often higher, booking even a couple of days ahead can reduce costs. In 2014, women paid on average $113 less per ticket than men.
That headline number, however, does not account for factors such as route, cabin class, and departure timing. After adjusting for those variables, the average price gap narrowed to roughly $17 per ticket, about 2 percent of the ticket price.
Although $17 may seem modest on an individual level, it accumulates across large travel programs. For instance, the Harvard Business Review reported that a multinational company with 21,000 business travelers could realize about $1 million in annual savings if bookings were made two days earlier on average.
In short, earlier booking behavior—more common among women in this study—can produce meaningful cost savings for organizations with extensive travel needs.