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If you're chasing Delta elite status this year, you'll need to earn a lot of Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs). And if you're in need of an early boost, Delta is offering bonus MQDs on rental cars, hotels, and vacation rentals booked through Delta channels through February 16, 2026.
Here's everything you need to know about these MQD promotions.
Earn Delta MQDs on Car Rentals, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals
Delta is giving SkyMiles members the chance to earn MQDs on car rentals, hotel stays, and vacation rentals made through Delta Cars and Stays. For both car rentals and stays, you'll earn 1 MQD per $1 spent on the base rate — excluding taxes and fees.
To take advantage of this offer, you'll need to book travel by February 16, 2026, and complete it by September 13.
To qualify, make your reservation through this dedicated booking portal and include your SkyMiles number during checkout.
These MQD earnings are on top of your typical Delta SkyMiles earnings, which are as follows:
Hotels and vacation rentals
- Earn 2 SkyMiles per $1 spent on these reservations
Rental cars
- Hertz
- General SkyMiles member: 4 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Silver Medallion: 5 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Gold Medallion: 6 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Platinum Medallion: 7 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Diamond Medallion: 8 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Dollar and Thrifty
- All SkyMiles members: 4 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
- Alamo, Enterprise, National, Avis, Budget, Payless and SIXT
- All SkyMiles members: 2 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent
Other Options to Earn Delta Medallion Qualifying Dollars
If you're looking for additional shortcuts toward earning Delta Medallion status, your best option is through one of the many Delta co-branded credit cards.
You can earn 1 MQD for every $10 spent with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. Earn 1 MQD for every $20 spent on the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card. You can earn unlimited MQDs through credit card spending. Plus, eligible new card members can score the following welcome offers:
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on a 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.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum 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.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $10 in statement credits each month after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights and save up to $70 per person on a round-trip Delta flight.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $350 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.
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 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 when you book a Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
- 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.
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Our Take
If you are chasing Delta Medallion status, taking advantage of these periodic MQD promotions when they come around can make a lot of sense. Just be sure to make your rental car, hotel, and vacation rental reservations by February 16, 2026, and complete your travels by September 13, 2026.
Normally, we caution against booking hotels through third-party platforms like Booking.com or Kayak, since you typically won’t earn hotel points or elite credit. But this is a rare exception. Earning MQDs on these bookings can easily outweigh those tradeoffs if you’re chasing status with Delta.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
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