I strongly dislike booking hotels via a third party, since you won’t earn any hotel points or get your status benefits. For car rentals, though, as long as it’s a Pay Later rate, it’s pretty much all the same.
Delta announced today that “car rental and hotel bookings made on www.travelextras-delta.com from February 27, 2023 through March 31, 2023 (for travel dates from February 27, 2023 through September 4, 2023) will be eligible to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) upon the completion of a qualifying car rental or hotel booking.”
So this promotion, which will award you 1 MQD per dollar spent could be quite useful for someone trying to qualify for a Medallion status level (which requires both the Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) and MQDs to be met as shown below. People often get to the MQMs before the required MQDs, requiring them to get that waived via spending $25,000 on a Delta Platinum or Delta Reserve credit card (or do crazy year end mileage runs where MQDs are based on miles flown.)
If I didn’t know I’d get the waiver via credit card spend, I’d be all over this myself for car rentals.
Terms and Conditions
Car Rental and Hotel bookings made on www.travelextras-delta.com from February 27, 2023 through March 31, 2023 (for travel dates from February 27, 2023 through September 4, 2023) will be eligible to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) upon the completion of a qualifying car rental or hotel booking.
SkyMiles Members will earn one (1) MQD per eligible US $1 or equivalent foreign currency spent on the base car rental rate for every completed rental booking and on the base hotel rate for every completed stay (“Qualifying Dollars”). Qualifying Dollars include the cost of the hotel room, before taxes and fees, charged at the time of booking. Taxes, fees, gratuities, room service, other booking charges, or any element of the booking which is paid or reduced by redemption vouchers or discount codes are excluded from MQD credit and are not included in the Qualifying Dollars. A qualifying car rental booking includes rentals at a participating location for one or more days at rates other than travel industry rates or discounts, wholesale of tour package rates or discounts, wholesale tour package rates, insurance/dealer replacement rates, corporate and government rates, group travel discounts, or rentals in conjunction with a frequent flyer car award, or other corporate agreements applicable to the respective car company.
MQDs can only be credited to the SkyMiles Member whose name appears on the credit card used for the reservation. First and last name on credit card must match with name on SkyMiles account provided. MQDs will not be awarded for cancelled, no-show, or unpaid reservations. SkyMiles number must be provided at the time of booking. Only one SkyMiles number can be provided per booking. Please allow up to 8 weeks after completion of eligible stay or car rental for MQDs to be deposited in SkyMiles account. If MQD credit has not been recorded on your SkyMiles account within 8 weeks after qualifying activity occurs, please contact us and select: Request Mileage Credit > All Other Miles Requests > Other SkyMiles Partners. Requests for MQD credit will be accepted up to 6 months from check out or car rental return date. Bookings completed prior to enrollment into SkyMiles will not be eligible for MQD credit. Hotel currency or status are subject to each respective Hotel guest program and may not be applicable for bookings made on www.travelextras-delta.com.
MQDs earned under this offer will count toward Medallion Status. In addition to this offer, SkyMiles members may be eligible to earn miles for the same car rental or hotel booking through applicable programs offered on Delta.com at the time of booking. Such separate miles awarded are subject to additional terms and conditions, and do not count toward Medallion Qualification Miles or Million Miler Status.
Thoughts?
Let me know below in the comments, on Twitter, or in the private MilesTalk Facebook group. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram for all sorts of tips on miles, points, credit cards, and travel.
If this post helped you, please consider sharing it!
You can find credit cards that best match your spending habits and bonus categories at Your Best Credit Cards.
New to all of this? My “introduction to miles and points” book, MilesTalk: Live Your Wildest Travel Dreams Using Miles and Points is available on Amazon and at major booksellers.