Earn MQDs on hotel stays and rental cars when you book through Delta by the end of March
Editor's Note
Delta Air Lines is offering Delta SkyMiles members another path to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars toward elite status with its Stays and Cars promotion. You can earn 1 MQD per base dollar spent on hotel bookings, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through the Travel Extras portal by March 31 for travel completed by April 30.
Earn Delta MQDs on hotels and vacation rentals
During this promotion, you'll earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on hotel stays and vacation rentals booked through Delta's travel portal. This is in addition to the redeemable SkyMiles (members earn a minimum of 2 miles for every dollar spent on the base hotel rate) you ordinarily earn for every dollar spent at most hotels booked through the Travel Extras portal.
Per the promotion's terms, you can only earn on the base cost of the hotel room — before taxes and fees are charged at the time of booking.
For example, here's what you could earn for a two-night stay at the Moxy Minneapolis Downtown:
- 390 MQDs
- 781 SkyMiles (worth $9.37 based on TPG's February 2025 valuations)
Earn Delta MQDs on rental cars
Additionally, participants earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on base car rental rates for every completed rental booking.
You will not earn MQDs on charges like taxes, one-way rental fees, fuel services and tolls. Additionally, when booking cars through Delta's portal, you can earn bonus SkyMiles with rental car partners and if you hold elite status with Delta.
For instance, Hertz is a Delta partner. If you decide to book a rental car with the company through Delta, you'll earn 4 miles per dollar spent on qualifying rentals as a basic SkyMiles member. Additionally, depending on your Delta elite status, you can earn 5 to 8 miles per dollar spent on qualifying rentals.
As another example, say you decide to book a Hertz rental car at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) through Delta's portal. Here are how many MQDs and SkyMiles you can earn on a two-day-long rental with the current promotion:
- 113 MQDs
- 456 SkyMiles (worth $5.47 based on TPG's February 2025 valuations)
Important terms
As always, make sure to read the full terms and conditions of this promotion before you book.
One of the most important things to note is that you can only earn MQDs if your name appears on the credit card you pay with. Delta will not credit MQDs if the first and last names on the card do not match the information on the SkyMiles account.
After you travel, it can take up to eight weeks to receive the MQDs.
Additionally, those with a Delta cobranded card can earn up to $100 or up to $250 Delta Stays statement credits annually when they use the card to purchase prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays. Prepaid Delta Stays reservations qualify as Delta purchases on cobranded cards.
Delta cardholders — including those with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card — earn 3 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases. Cardholders of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card earn 2 miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases.
Bottom line
This promotion is another way to earn Delta status without flying. By earning MQDs through nonflight activities outside one of the airline's cobranded cards, this promotion sets a new precedent for Medallion status.
Delta appears to be sending emails about this promotion to SkyMiles members in batches — we hope to see more ways to earn MQDs like this one in the future.
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees