At age 17, John DiScala was terrified of flying. For the next three and a half years, he was paralyzed by the thought of boarding an airplane to explore beyond his small world in Connecticut.

Today you may know him as Johnny Jet, a travel expert who’s mastered the art of flying comfortably with a hat full of tricks to find the best deals. He continues to help others overcome their fear of flying, aiding one man to even fly for the first time in 42 years. One of the original travel bloggers, he was named a Top 10 Influencer in Travel this year by Forbes.

Johnny Jet (pictured above in the Serengeti) is also a big advocate for trip insurance and serves as an Allianz Travel Insurance brand ambassador to raise awareness of its useful benefits among his followers. As he gives people the confidence to fly and the tools to be smarter in exploring the world, he also shows how trip protection serves a similar purpose.

Lee Abamonte is the youngest American and one of only a few people to visit every country in the world plus the North and South Poles. He’s been hang gliding over Rio de Janeiro and tracking silverback gorillas in Rwanda (pictured below). On his ambitious journey to explore 318 countries, he didn’t take chances by globetrotting without trip protection.

Lee is also a global brand ambassador for Allianz Travel Insurance, talking and posting to his nearly 200,000 social media fans about why trip protection has become an essential part of traveling. Plus there’s Kim Orlando, founder of Traveling Mom, named one of the Top Four Family Travel Sites by ShermansTravel.com.  She’s developed business relationships with some of the biggest names in family vacations, from Disney to Park City Mountain Resort and Marriott.

We work with over 80 travel bloggers that have a collective social following of more than two million fans. Through their trusted networks, we can have real-time conversations with consumers about the value and benefits of trip protection. All of the bloggers and influencers we work with know and use our products, often sharing positive personal experiences they’ve had with Allianz Travel Insurance. We reach many more millions of consumers by leveraging influencer voices through our robust public relations program.

As a result, we expect to see a higher volume of knowledgeable, confident travelers who are more likely to purchase trip insurance through our partners.

We’re lucky to have great partnerships with travel personalities like Mark Murphy, president and CEO of travAlliancemedia, which produces a handful of industry-leading travel agent publications. 

Our influencer and digital marketing programs were recognized with two national awards at the 60th annual Adrian Awards, presented by The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) in New York City earlier this year.

To our knowledge, no other travel insurance provider has an ongoing influencer program that even comes close.

Social media is a fast-growing channel we use to engage with current customers and reach new ones. We enjoy talking to consumers about seasonal vacation trends and topics that help them with trip planning while inspiring their next adventure.

We moderate frequent group conversations for this purpose across social networks. One of our most popular groups is the #TravelHappy Twitter chat held monthly on the third Thursday, from 1-2pm EST. Johnny Jet and Lee Abamonte join us for these to share their expertise. Our June Twitter chat about Exploring America attracted such a high level of engagement that #TravelHappy was a trending hashtag on Twitter in the U.S.

Another excellent Twitter chat is #TravelSkills, hosted every Friday by Johnny Jet and Chris McGinnis. It was created to educate consumers how to travel wiser to new destinations. We’ve joined them in leading discussions ranging from summer vacation ideas to destinations in Mexico.

Since these social groups often attract a highly engaged audience of travelers, we welcome our knowledgeable travel partners (you or your marketing team) to join us in the conversation and connect with our fans on Twitter, Facebook, or your social media of choice.

Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.
Insurance benefits underwritten by BCS Insurance Company or Jefferson Insurance Company, depending on your state of residence.  Plan(s) only available to U.S. residents and may not be available in all jurisdictions. Allianz Global Assistance and Allianz Travel Insurance are brands of AGA Service Company.  AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans and an affiliate of Jefferson Insurance Company. The insured shall not receive any special benefit or advantage due to the affiliation between AGA Service Company and Jefferson Insurance Company. Non-insurance benefits/products are provided and serviced by AGA Service Company. Consumer may be responsible for charges incurred from outside vendors for assistance or concierge services. Contact AGA Service Company at 800-284-8300 or 9950 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or customerservice@allianzassistance.com.

Citations:

1. “Top Influencers 2017, Travel,” Forbes.