Art Basel Miami Beach is around the corner, running Dec. 4-6. Hotel rates get wild that weekend, but we tracked down where you can book with points. Our team stayed at the Andaz Miami Beach during Art Basel last year, and it’s still available for 30,000 World of Hyatt points a night instead of about $1,500. The Gale South Beach, a 10-minute walk from the convention center, goes for 95,000 Hilton points. We also cover what to do if you’re short on points.

If a winter getaway is on your list, American is running an economy award sale for travel Jan. 11 through Feb. 28, 2027. Plenty of one-way flights cost 8,000 AAdvantage miles, including some to Cancun, while London is 22,500 and Tokyo or Sydney is 25,000. Since American typically lets you cancel awards for free, you can lock in a deal now and change your plans later. The sale ends at 12:59 a.m. EST on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Meanwhile, United keeps opening bigger lounges, with its largest United Club yet in Houston and its second largest at Washington Dulles, where an escalator styled after a D.C. Metro station leads up to the club.

You don't need a Bilt credit card to earn Bilt Points. Join Bilt Rewards for free and earn points on purchases you're already making while still earning rewards from your credit card.

Take Lyft, for example. Link your Bilt and Lyft accounts to earn 2X Bilt Points on eligible rides. You can also earn bonus points at participating restaurants, Walgreens, and fitness studios through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits.

Before paying cash for a hotel, check whether buying points during a promotion would end up cheaper than the nightly rate.

Have a travel or points question? Submit it here and it may be featured in a future episode.

If you’re heading to Art Basel next month and still don’t have a hotel, some of these cash rates are enough to make you consider sleeping at the convention center.

You’re listening to Departure Digest. This one’s about where to stay on points for Art Basel, plus cheap award flights on American and United’s lounge spree.

Before we get to Miami, though, I have a deal for you that ends tonight.

American is running an award sale for economy flights from mid-January through February. Lots of flights are going for 8,000 AAdvantage miles one-way, including New York to Miami or Cancun, while some Chicago routes are even cheaper. There are also some international deals, like London for 22,500 miles one-way, and Tokyo or Sydney for 25,000.

There’s no list of sale routes, so try a few routes and dates with miles on American’s site. Not every flight is discounted, but there are no blackout dates, so MLK Day and Presidents’ Day weekends are fair game.

These aren’t American’s lowest prices ever, but with more than a million seats on sale, you have a decent shot at finding a flight that works. And since American typically lets you cancel an award for free, I’d book now and decide later. The sale ends just before 1 a.m. Eastern, so treat tonight as your deadline.

Okay, Miami, on the other hand, is about to be the opposite of a sale.

A few of you have asked us for help booking Art Basel, which takes over Miami Beach the first weekend of December, so here’s where I’d start if you’re using points.

For starters, you can still book the Andaz Miami Beach for 30,000 World of Hyatt points a night, compared to a cash rate of around $1,500. Plus, the resort fee is waived when you book with points. If you’re short on Hyatt points, you can move them over 1:1 from [a major credit card rewards program] or Bilt Rewards. The catch is that some check-in dates over Art Basel weekend require a two- or three-night minimum, so you may need to play with your dates.

Our team stayed here during Art Basel last year and loved it. Think upscale without the party scene. We have a full review on our site. Just know it’s in Mid-Beach, which is a bit north of the convention center, so you’ll be taking a car or the trolley down to the fair.

If you’d rather walk, look at the Gale South Beach, a 10-minute walk from the convention center. Award nights there are going for 95,000 Hilton points, instead of a cash rate of over $750. And honestly, not having to take an Uber in Art Basel traffic is a perk of its own.

If you don’t have enough Hilton points, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points, but at a pretty bad ratio. The better option is probably to buy them. Hilton’s currently running a sale that can bring the price to just under half a cent a point, putting a night at the Gale around $430, which still beats the cash rate.

A few more things before you book. Be careful if you’re looking at Airbnbs that week, since scam listings tend to pop up around big events, and some hosts double-book, then cancel on guests at the last minute. Only pay and message through Airbnb, read recent reviews, and maybe hang on to a refundable hotel as a backup.

And check flights into Fort Lauderdale, not just Miami, since the fare savings can make up for the longer ride.

Also, look out for special events and perks through your credit card issuer. For example, last year Delta and Amex had a lounge at the Untitled Art fair with free food, drinks, and really nice goodie bags, and Capital One hosted free, intimate concerts.

Alright, switching to airlines. United’s been on a roll lately, at least when it comes to lounges.

In October, it opened its biggest United Club yet in Houston, complete with an outdoor terrace. And yesterday, it opened its second biggest at Washington Dulles, so you no longer have to go down to a basement for one. The escalator up is designed to look like a D.C. Metro station, and from the photos, it’s one of the better-looking lounges a U.S. airline has opened in a while.

And speaking of United, I flew out of Newark recently and saw its gate delivery test in action. On select flights from Terminal C, you can order things like food, drinks, or a charger in the United app, and it’ll be waiting at your gate. Think Uber Eats, just limited to restaurants in the terminal.

I can get behind this for tight connections or anyone traveling with kids, since there’s nothing worse than standing in a food line while you hear your boarding group get called. United says Houston is next, so I’m hoping this one sticks around.

Okay friends, that’s your Wednesday rundown. Plug a few routes into American’s site, and I’ll see you Friday.