Whether you're looking for cheap airfares or bargain airfares for your next travel experience having the proper search tools and knowing how to use them will help you.

Taking an hour or two to look for bargain airfares can result in saving a lot of vacation money.

Ten tips for finding cheap airfares.

1. Determine what published fares are. Published fares are found on Travel Search Engines (TSEs) like Hotwire, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.

2. Learn the high, shoulder and low travel seasons for your destination. Consider the low season unless your travel calendar absolutely eliminates this possibility. This alternative can save you 30% off a high season published fare, if not more.

3. Consider nearby airports or even alternative destination countries. Some close-by geographical alternatives can save you money as well as expand your travel experience.

4. Try a consolidator or “bucket shopâ€