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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 a boost, Delta is offering bonus MQDs on rental cars, hotels, and vacation rentals booked through Delta channels through July 20, 2026.
Plus, for a limited time, Delta is also offering new customers the chance to earn 5X SkyMiles on their first Delta Stays booking — through August 23, 2026.
Here's everything you need to know about these MQD promotions.
[Expired] 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, fees, and miles redeemed.
To take advantage of this offer, you'll need to book travel by July 20, and complete it by December 15, 2026.
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
Related: Your Complete Guide to Delta SkyMiles Partners: Airlines, Credit Cards, and Transfer Options
Earn 5X Total SkyMiles on Your First Delta Stays Booking
If you haven't made a Delta Stays reservation before, here's an incentive to make your first one. On bookings made by August 31, 2026, Delta is offering 5X SkyMiles on stays completed by December 31, 2026.
This promotion doesn't require registration; simply book through the Delta Stays promotional webpage. Just note that the 5X SkyMiles is the total you'll earn on the stay itself. You won't earn rewards on taxes and fees or on the portion of your stay paid for with redeemed SkyMiles.
To break down the math, the 5X earning rate consists of the standard 2 SkyMiles per $1 spent through Delta Stays plus 3 bonus SkyMiles per $1 spent as part of this promotion.
Nothing in the terms indicates that this offer can't be combined with Delta's bonus MQD promotion. However, this promotion's landing page doesn't mention the other offer at all, so I wouldn't count on the offers stacking. Instead, consider taking advantage of the offer that provides more value to you, whether that's bonus MQDs or bonus SkyMiles.
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. And you can 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:
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on a Delta Main round-trip flight within the U.S. and to Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America 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: Earn up to $10 in statement credits each month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card for eligible purchases.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: With your $120 Rideshare Credit, earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment Required.
- Check your first bag for free on Delta flights worldwide and get a second bag free when flying domestically.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee every 4 years, 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.
- 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.
(Terms apply)
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you're approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount - all with no credit score impact. If you're approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 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.
- 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 domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flight 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: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases.
- Global Dining Access by Resy gives you special access to sought-after U.S. Resy restaurants when you add your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to your Resy profile. Access to exclusive reservations, premium dining experiences, Priority Notify, and more, all from Resy.com or the Resy app.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: With your $120 Rideshare Credit, earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment Required.
- Check your first bag for free on Delta flights worldwide and get a second bag free when flying domestically.
- 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.
- Terms Apply.
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Related: Which Delta Credit Card Is Right for You?
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 July 20, 2026, and complete your travels by December 15, 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)
