Book through travel agency or airline?

Well I would check online first, and then consult a travel agent and ask them for the exact same dates and see what they will tell you. There are pros and cons for both though.

Pros for websites are that you get the lowest possible fares from the airline directly. If the airline needs to call you regarding a schedule change or cancellation, then they have your information. Now that I'm thinking about it, there are no real bad things about online :)

Travel Agents: They have deals with most carriers and sometimes can offer you a better deal. However, you need to pay a "fee" for their services usually. So that's why I'd look at online and the agent for the same flight to see what the deal is. Also if the airline cancels your flight, or changes something about your reservation, then they cannot contact you if you're through a travel agent. That is a HUGE deal considering how many flights get canceled everyday.

Finally I'd recommend getting a rapid rewards credit card on the most frequently used airline. That way you can earn miles and points while you're traveling for work, and you can end up earning a free flight.

There is no need to go through a travel agent or even through the airline for that matter. If you have computer access and a credit card, the easiest way is to book your tickets online. I have flown overseas 5 times, and each I booked by myself. I personally do not use a travel agent, because I see no need to pay extra fees for the agent's commission when I can just as easily find the flight times and prices I prefer for free. As for the additional fees that online agent sites add on (like Expedia, etc.) that is true, but you can still book directly from the airlines' websites and avoid booking fees....or, you may do what I did....I compared the airlines' prices with the online agents' prices and booked the cheapest I could find. Actually the online agent's (Travelocity) price was the lowest even when adding in the booking fee. I got a round trip ticket from SFO to Shannon, Ireland for $550. Yes, it is non-refundable, but if I purchased with the airline it would be also.

How is the routing for your husband? Is it a round trip eg. LAX-JFK-LAX? If its this kind of trips, its wise to buy online. However, if hes flying to a few airports each trip(eg. LAX-HKG-SIN-FRA-LHR-JFK-HOU-LAX), its almost impossible to buy such tickets online. Thus, its good to consult a travel agent as they can get better deals for such trips.