Delta Launches a Second Promotion for Bonus MQDs, Now Available on Flights, Lodging, and Cars

Ever since Delta made sweeping changes to how travelers earn Medallion status in the SkyMiles program, it has offered a few limited-time promotions that allow customers to earn bonus Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) to help them reach elite status a little bit quicker.

Right now, Delta has two such promotions. The first offers bonus MQDs on hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals, while the newest offer provides bonus MQDs on “Extra” fares, though this offer appears targeted.

Let’s take a look at all the details!

Limited Time: Earn Bonus MQDs on Trips

Rental Cars

If you book a rental car by October 24 and complete the reservation by October 31, 2025, you can earn 1 MQD per base dollar spent via the Delta Car Rentals portal.

Additionally, you can earn bonus SkyMiles on your reservation if you add your loyalty number at the time of booking. With Dollar and Thrifty, all members earn 4 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent. With Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National, and Payless, all members earn 2 SkyMiles per qualifying dollar spent.

With Hertz reservations, your earnings depend on your Delta Medallion status tier. General members earn 4x SkyMiles per dollar spent, Silver Medallion members get 5x earnings, Gold Medallion members earn 6x, Platinum Medallion provides 7x, and Diamond Medallion members get 8x.

Stays

Another route to earning MQDs comes from hotel stays and vacation rentals in the Delta Travel Extras portal. You’ll earn 1 MQD per dollar spent here — in addition to earning 2 SkyMiles per dollar. You must book by October 24 and travel by October 31, 2025, to receive the bonus earnings.

Terms and Conditions

As always, there is some fine print to be aware of. Here are the most important things to note:

• Book by October 24, 2025
• Travel by October 31, 2025
• MQDs and miles may take up to 8 weeks after completion of travel to arrive
• Names must match exactly with your credit card and SkyMiles account
• Bookings made through Delta Vacations don’t qualify
• You must book directly with Delta Travel Extras

Bonus MQDs Offer on ‘Extra’ Fares

Delta’s Extra fares come with earlier boarding, higher earning rates, refund flexibility, and the ability to select seats at any time — plus a higher priority for upgrades if you have elite status (the latter 2 perks applying to Main Extra, though Extra fares also exist in first class and Delta One). These tickets also come with a higher price tag than Classic fares, even though both of them put you in the same seats.

A new, targeted offer provides a 20% bonus on MQDs if you book a Main Extra seat between September 1 and December 31, with eligible travel dates from October 1 through December 31, 2025. This offer applies to trips within the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Given that Main Extra fares cost more, be sure to do the math to see if the 20% MQD boost is worth it.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a loyal Delta flyer who’s pursuing Medallion status, it’s absolutely worth booking through the Travel Extras portal if you were already planning fall travel and weren’t going to pay with points. This is a rare opportunity to score valuable MQDs outside of flying and heavy spending on credit cards.

For those eligible for the MQD boost on Extra fares, make sure to crunch the numbers to see how much more you’re paying for an Extra fare and whether it’s justifiable with the 20% higher earning rate toward elite status.