You can't beat personal service, travel agency reminds

Sure, you've got the ability to book plane tickets and vacation packages from your own home.

So why do you need a travel agent?

Kelly Seng, owner of Family Travel Vacation Planning Center in South Elgin, will tell you that travel agents, like herself, are there to help.

She and her six agents can plan customized vacations and will stay with you every step of the way, she said.

"You're not going to get that with the Internet," Seng said.

"People think they get a good deal, but if there's a problem or family emergency, you're on your own. If you come to Family Travel, that's not the case."

For a while, it looked as if travel agencies would become obsolete, but Seng says she's been noticing a swing in the other direction.

The business, located just off Randall Road on Redington Drive, has been open for seven years, but Kelly Seng and her husband, David, who live in Geneva, took ownership of it two years ago.

It initially was located on Sundown Road, but in an effort to get more space and visibility, the Sengs moved it west to its current location last December, Seng said.

"We're not just desks and an office anymore; we're very much a living room, family room atmosphere," she said.

Despite its name, the company doesn't just specialize in family vacations.

It also does work for singles, couples, corporations and other groups, she said.

There's a lot of customer interest in traveling to Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Germany, Seng said.

But the most popular destinations so far are Hawaii, and the Dominican Republic.

"The Dominican Republic is hot right now," she said.

"It's just an up-and-coming place people are just starting to hear about."

The other benefit to using Family Travel Vacation Planning Center is that there's no charge for most services.

There is an airline ticketing fee that's $30 if you're flying domestic and $40 if you're going overseas, she explained.

But if you're still dead-set on using the Internet, Seng suggests you try booking trips from her Web site.

"We're here for you just as if you would have walked in or called on the phone," she said.

• Family Travel Planning Center is in South Elgin at 454 Redington Drive, Unit F. For more information, visit www.familytraveltime.com ("time" is in the Web site name though not in the business name), or call (847) 429œ0306.