CNN.com is extolling the benefits of using a travel agent.

"In an age where travelers of all ages turn to the Internet to book flight and hotel reservations, modern travel agents are offering expert advice on cruises and tour packages to far-flung locales, advice on the best a particular city has to offer, exclusive perks, hidden discount prices and the security of an adviser in case of inconvenience or disaster," the article says.

The article kicks off with the story of Arthur and Alex Beach, the clients of Albuquerque agency All World Travel who were onboard the Costa Concordia when the ship hit a rock and capsized. "By the time … Beach got to Rome, he knew how he would get home," the CNN report says.

Additional topics touched on in the CNN story: Young travelers, ("travel companies are hiring young people to market to their own generation") fees ("some even charge an annual retainer for customers who want an agent at their disposal") and specialization ("For many agents, specialization is the name of the game.")

Article name-dropping? Matthew Upchurch of Virtuoso, Douglas Quinby of PhoCusWright, Tony Gonchar of ASTA and, of course, Jackie Berube, the agent of Arthur and Alex Beach.