Welcome to PointsZero

I've been playing the points-and-miles game for a few years now, and somewhere along the way it stopped being just a hobby and started shaping how I move through the world. PointsZero is where I write about what that looks like in practice.

The name is a nod to the goal: getting as close to zero out-of-pocket as possible on experiences that would otherwise be out of reach. A suite on Singapore Airlines. A three-star dinner in Tokyo. A long weekend in a city I had no particular reason to visit other than a cheap positioning flight and curiosity.

What you'll find here

Aviation — Cabin reviews, routing strategies, and the occasional rant about seat maps. I fly mostly out of New York and have a soft spot for long-haul business and first class products worth burning points on.

Food — Restaurant recommendations, mostly in New York but occasionally wherever I land. I'm drawn to places with a point of view: the bakery that does one thing exceptionally, the neighborhood spot that's been there for decades, the tasting menu that actually surprises you.

Travel — Trip reports and destination guides, written after the fact when I've had time to figure out what was actually worth doing.

The meta game — Credit card strategy, transfer partner moves, and redemption deep-dives when I find something worth writing up.

I'm not trying to be comprehensive. There are better resources for that. This is just what I've seen, eaten, and figured out along the way.