One of the most well known airlines in the world, United Airlines, has just recently released information that it plans to demonstrate a new fuel saving method. This new method will be demonstrated on two flights between the United States and Europe.

The airline went on to say that it thinks this new method should save about 940 gallons of fuel, or about 3 percent of the fuel that is usually burned on these kinds of flights. The testing includes a trip from Frankfurt to Chicago on a United 777 and a return trip on the very same plane. Both of the flights will be regular routes with paying passengers.

Normally commercial flights stay at a precise altitude. However, these flights will drift up and down as much as 3,000 feet. This way the pilots will not need to burn extra fuel to maintain that precise altitude. This also lets the pilot choose the best altitude depending on wind and other conditions.

The United Airlines captain and managing director of technology and flight tests, Joe Burns, said that these small adjustments would not make much of a difference on a short domestic flight. However, they add up on an eight to 10 hour overseas flight. A thousand feet can make a big difference in the fuel that is burned.

The flight is also being planned with a flight planning system that computes the best route, speed and altitude. This is all determined by the wind and the weight of the plane. This is something that can change from flight to flight and also changes how much fuel the plane has to burn.