Sam Zia

Sam Zia is the Founder and CEO of Travel Smarter Consulting, a boutique travel consulting firm he established in Washington, DC, in 2020. Following years of research in the travel and credit card sector, Zia identified a gap between what large luxury travel operators charged and what a boutique firm with genuine expertise could deliver.

TSC works with a clientele that spans Capitol Hill offices, Silicon Valley companies, and international NGOs. The firm's focus areas reflect Zia's firsthand knowledge: African safaris, Argentina, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka are destinations he visits personally. The service centers on credit card rewards optimization, business and first-class flight bookings, and custom itinerary design, built around flexibility and a prioritization of transferable bank points over loyalty to any single airline program. TSC does not resell miles or mark up retail trip value. Initial consultations are free, and no contracts are required.

Zia tracks airline seat configurations, wifi quality, and partner redemption windows as closely as he tracks client logistics. The overhead of a boutique structure allows TSC to offer better value than larger luxury providers without sacrificing the quality of service.

Zia graduated in Modern History and Politics from Jesus College, Oxford, where he co-founded OxfordSpeaks. The society grew to 2,000 members during his tenure and hosted global public figures, among them Nancy Pelosi. Zia and his co-founder researched each speaker in depth and designed questions to go well beyond the standard circuit. Running OxfordSpeaks honed Zia's instinct for preparation and attention to detail under pressure.

The most consequential chapter of Zia's early career came in August 2021, during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Working in partnership with local and international NGOs, TSC coordinated the evacuation of dozens of at-risk personnel, including women's rights activists and professors. Zia routed evacuees through a third country under strict 24-hour connection limits. Any delay risked deportation. He worked at cost throughout.

A native of London and Washington, DC, Zia attended high school in Washington before going up to Oxford. He spent part of his teenage years working with Project Turquoise, a nonprofit focused on education for Syrian refugees. That experience informs how he thinks about what access to travel means for people.

Travel Smarter Consulting is based in Washington, DC. TSC offers free initial consultations and does not require contracts.