Earn MQDs on hotel stays and rental cars when you book through Delta by the end of September

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

For the last time this year, Delta Air Lines is offering Delta SkyMiles members another path to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars toward elite status with its Stays and Cars promotion.

Specifically, you can earn 1 MQD per base dollar spent on hotel bookings and car rental reservations booked by Sept. 30 through the Travel Extras portal for travel completed by Oct. 31.

Here are the details.

Earn Delta MQDs on hotels

During this promotion, you’ll earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on hotel stays booked through Delta’s travel portal. This is in addition to the redeemable SkyMiles (members earn a minimum of 2 miles for every $1 spent on the base hotel rate) you ordinarily earn for every dollar spent at most hotels.

The promotion’s terms state that 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 three-night stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas:

1,737 MQDs
3,476 SkyMiles (worth $41.71 based on TPG’s September valuations)

Delta estimate for a stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

Earn Delta MQDs on rental cars

Additionally, you’ll earn 1 MQD per dollar spent on the base car rental rate for every completed rental booking.

You will not earn MQDs on charges like taxes, one-way rental fees, fuel services or 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 example, Hertz is a partner of Delta, and if you decide to book a rental car with this company through Delta, basic SkyMiles members will earn 4 miles per $1 spent on qualifying rentals. Additionally, depending on your Delta elite status, you can earn 5 to 8 miles per $1 spent on qualifying rentals.

Therefore, if you decide to book a Hertz rental car at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) through Delta’s portal, here’s how many MQDs and SkyMiles you can earn on a three-day-long rental with the current promotion:

136 MQDs
544 SkyMiles (worth about $6.53 based on TPG’s September valuations)

Important terms

Before you book, make sure to read the full terms and conditions of this promotion. 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 complete your 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. Plus, prepaid Delta Stays reservations now 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, will earn 3 miles per dollar spent. Cardholders of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card will 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 non-flight activities outside one of the airline’s cobranded cards, this promotion sets a new precedent for Medallion status. Delta appears to be sending emails to SkyMiles members in batches with this promotion — we hope to see more ways to earn MQDs like this one in the future.

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