Delta SkyMiles has launched a promotion whereby hotel stays, vacation rentals, and rental cars, can count toward elite status for a limited time. We saw a similar promotion from Delta three times in both 2024 and 2025, so it’s not surprising to see this return (and if anything, you’d think this would just eventually become a permanent feature).
Delta SkyMiles awarding MQDs for lodging & rental cars
Just about all major airlines have portals through which you can earn bonus miles for booking hotels, rental cars, etc. After all, there are commissions to be made on this, and those who fly a lot are also likely to stay at hotels and rent cars a lot.
Historically Delta SkyMiles has only awarded redeemable miles for these kinds of activities, but that’s changing for a limited time. At the moment, Delta SkyMiles is offering one Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) for every dollar spent when booking a hotel, vacation rental, or rental car, at this link, in addition to earning two redeemable miles. As you’d expect, there are some terms to be aware of:
- You must book hotel, vacation rental, and rental car reservations between January 5 and February 16, 2026
- You must travel by September 13, 2026
- You earn one MQD per dollar spent on base rates for hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars, before taxes, fees, etc.
- The SkyMiles account must belong to the same person the booking is being made for
- It can take up to eight weeks after a completed activity for MQDs to post to accounts
It’s important to mention that while earning miles and even elite status for a hotel, vacation rental, or rental car, booking might sound appealing, keep in mind that there’s typically an opportunity cost to doing so. For example, with hotels you can’t earn hotel points if you book this way, and you typically don’t get elite perks. Furthermore, you’ll often find better rates elsewhere.
This is an interesting promotion from Delta SkyMiles
Nowadays Delta SkyMiles elite status is based exclusively on how many Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) you rack up, and status requires anywhere from 5,000 MQDs to 28,000 MQDs in a calendar year.
There are three ways you can earn MQDs:
- You earn one MQD per dollar spent on Delta flights
- You earn one MQD per dollar spent on vacations booked through Delta Vacations
- You earn one MQD per every $10-20 spent on an eligible Delta Amex card, depending on which product it is
When Delta first announced changes to SkyMiles for the 2024 program year, the plan was for hotel and rental car bookings to count toward elite status as well. However, after a lot of backlash over the new program, the elite requirements were lowered, and hotel and rental cars were also eliminated as a way to earn status.
So it’s interesting to see Delta now offering MQDs on a limited time basis for hotel and rental car bookings, and this being a recurring promotion.
It’s smart for Delta to incentive this kind of business, since this is pure profit for the carrier. The company is getting a commission on these bookings, and is just giving a small kickback to people who book this way.
I’m just confused by the concept of now offering a limited time promotion for the seventh time, rather than making it a permanent feature. Is Delta not seeing as many people qualifying for status as the airline was hoping, or is the airline keeping it limited time to avoid backlash over the elite status changes?
Bottom line
Delta SkyMiles has brought back a promotion whereby you can earn MQDs for hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars, booked through the carrier’s portal. For a limited time, you can earn one MQD per dollar spent, in addition to the standard two redeemable miles you earn per dollar spent.
Delta transformed its SkyMiles program in 2024, and initially the plan was that these kinds of travel arrangements would permanently count toward status. However, the carrier backtracked, and is now just offering this on a limited time basis (though on seven separate occasions since 2024).
What do you make of this Delta SkyMiles promotion?
