I just discovered a travel hack I wish I’d known about long ago. After spending several months staying in Airbnb’s around Europe. Only after getting home did I see a viral video of a Delta bonus that could have earned me thousands of SkyMiles. Seriously, I was kicking myself. But it was too late. Hopefully you can use the hack that I missed. Delta is giving away SkyMiles for every dollar you spend on an Airbnb. But there are a couple hoops you must fly through first.

Delta says, “SkyMiles Members can expect more choices and more miles toward their next journey when they book with Airbnb.” You just need a Delta SkyMiles membership and the correct URL. You don’t even need an Airbnb membership yet. In fact, if you set up your first Airbnb membership through the Delta portal, you stand to collect a big SkyMiles signup bonus (the precise bonus amount appears to change often, so doublecheck this).

The Delta portal to book your Airbnb is easy enough to remember: DeltaAirbnb.com. Read on to find out how I would use it.

Using the DeltaAirbnb portal to get SkyMiles like a pro

The URL is less a portal for Airbnb and more a Delta page prompting you to punch in your SkyMiles number before directing you to the Airbnb site. This means you get all the regular functionality of Airbnb, not a lightweight airline-built travel booking portal (I hate those btw). But there are some fine print here.

When you go to Airbnb through the DeltaAirbnb.com web page, you can either log into your own Airbnb account or set up a new one. But then you must book your stay during that browsing session. And you must have browser “cookies” enabled so Airbnb can tell Delta how much you spent, and how many SkyMiles you’re owed. What if you are indecisive or want to send some options to your travel partners before booking? You have options.

Personally, I would start on regular old Airbnb.com, then I’d find a place or two that fit my criteria and add them to a wish list. Then I’d send the listings to any travel partners I have or just sleep on it. Once I’m absolutely certain I know what place I want to book—and on what days—I’d go to DeltaAirbnb.com. When asked if I want to allow cookies, I’d click “yes to all.” Then once I was redirected to Airbnb, I’d open my wish list, click on the listing in question, and book.

Is the “Delta Airbnb” SkyMiles bonus a scam?

One Redditor took to the forum to forum to complain that Delta’s Airbnb SkyMiles deal is a scam. They had booked an expensive apartment and still hadn’t seen the SkyMiles on their Delta account. For its part, Delta answers “Why am I missing miles for my Airbnb purchase?” on its FAQs page.

The airline warns that your SkyMiles for an Airbnb stay may take eight weeks to show up on your account. It adds that if you still don’t see your points, you can submit a complaint form with screenshots of your Airbnb confirmation email. They’ll try to set things right in the next three weeks. 

Why are these waits so long? I’d guess Delta has been manually checking that each SkyMiles request is legitimate and that the Airbnb account has the same name as the SkyMiles account (no, you can’t earn your own SkyMiles on a friend’s Airbnb booking).This bonus could easily net a full-time Airbnb dweller (such as a digital nomad) 10,000 SkyMiles annually. That translates to serious savings on plane tickets. So make sure to use this big bonus buried on Delta’s website.