Can I claim miles for a flight I already took?

Yes, within the program's window. Most programs give six to twelve months from the flight date; a few give less. You need the ticket number (13 digits) and usually the boarding pass, and the name on the ticket must match the account.

Can I credit a flight to a program I joined after the flight?

It depends on the program. American, Delta and United allow claims for flights taken shortly before joining; several Asian programs require the account to have existed on the day of travel. The table shows each rule.

How do I claim miles for a partner airline flight?

Through the same missing miles form, selecting the partner airline, with the ticket number and boarding pass. Partner claims take longer, often several weeks, because the operating airline has to confirm the flight was flown in an eligible fare class.

Why was my missing miles claim refused?

The usual reasons: the fare class does not earn in that program, another frequent flyer number was on the booking and already earned, the name did not match, or the claim was outside the window. Basic economy and deep-discount fares earn nothing in many partner programs.

Claiming miles after the flight

Forgot to add your number, or decided after the trip which program you wanted the miles in? Every program has a retroactive credit process. The window, the documents and the rules on partner flights and new accounts differ, and this table has them all.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed September 23, 2026.

Program	Claim window	How it works	Source
United MileagePlus	Not confirmed	Request missing miles through the mileage credit request on united.com. The form loads only with JavaScript, so its time limit and whether flights before you joined count could not be read for this guide. Partner flights take longer to verify, so wait a week or two after flying before filing.	United: request mileage credit (page loads only with JavaScript)
American Airlines AAdvantage	12 months from the flight	Request online in the AAdvantage account; allow 10 days after an American flight and 30 days after a partner flight before filing. You need the 13-digit ticket number and the flight details, and the name on the ticket must match the account. New members: American flights up to 6 months before enrolment count, partner flights only 30 days before. Missing miles from non-airline partners (hotels, cars, shopping) are claimed with the partner, not American.	AAdvantage: request missing miles
Delta SkyMiles	9 months from the flight	Use the mileage credit form on delta.com; it has separate options for Delta flights, Delta and partner flights, and other SkyMiles partners. Delta and partner flights need the ticket number; partner claims can take several weeks. Delta's pages do not say whether flights taken before you joined can be claimed; the program rules set only the nine-month limit from the flight date.	Delta mileage credit request
Alaska Atmos Rewards	12 months; 6 months for BA, Iberia, Qatar, Oman Air	Request credit in the Atmos Rewards account 7 days after an Alaska or Hawaiian flight and at least 14 days after a partner flight. You must have been a member on the day of travel to receive partner points. For partners not in the online form, email a receipt and boarding pass.	Atmos Rewards: request credit for past flights
Air Canada Aeroplan	Not stated; keep passes 6 months	Submit the missing transactions form at least 14 days after the whole trip; credit can take up to 2 months. Aeroplan does not state a claim deadline but asks members to keep boarding passes for 6 months after travel. Flights before enrolment do not earn: the terms exclude purchases made before joining.	Aeroplan: missing transactions
JetBlue TrueBlue	12 months from a JetBlue-operated flight	Sign in to your TrueBlue account and use the Request missing points link for a JetBlue-operated flight completed within the last 12 months. For partner airlines, JetBlue says the time allowed to request points may vary by partner.	JetBlue: earning TrueBlue points help page
Avianca LifeMiles	12 months from the flight; 6 months for Iberia and GOL	Avianca flights: request retroactive credit online once 4 days have passed; if that fails, submit the accrual form and the Support team reviews it. Star Alliance flights: wait 14 days, then request the miles through Pending Miles in the account. Iberia, GOL and other non-alliance flights, or Star Alliance flights the online tool will not credit: use the accrual form with supporting documents. Flights before you joined do not count, and commercial partners must have your number at purchase because their miles cannot be claimed later.	LifeMiles help centre: miles accrual with air partners
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer	6 months from the flight	Log in and use the online form under Make a claim once the posting period has passed. New members can claim flights taken up to 30 days before enrolment. The terms page mentioned six months for Singapore Airlines flights, but treat 30 days as the rule. Partner flights need the ticket number and boarding pass and take six to eight weeks.	KrisFlyer: claim missing miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles	6 months from the flight	File the missing mileage request form in the account after seven days; credit takes six to eight weeks. New members can claim only flights within 30 days before enrolment. A name mismatch, no membership number on the booking and an ineligible fare class are the usual reasons for non-credit.	Cathay FAQ: claiming missing status points or Asia Miles
Korean Air SKYPASS	365 days; 6 months on AF, KLM, Garuda	Retro-claim on the website or app, or at a service centre with the e-ticket and boarding pass, from 7 days after the flight (14 for Garuda). Flights boarded more than 30 days before signing up cannot be claimed. Partner claims: Air France, KLM and Garuda within 6 months, other partners 365 days.	SKYPASS: mileage claim guide
JAL Mileage Bank	6 months from the flight	Request post-flight credit online; domestic requests open three days after the flight. Flights flown before joining JMB are accepted if claimed within six months (bonus miles excluded). Partner flights need the ticket number and boarding pass.	JAL Mileage Bank: post-flight credit
ANA Mileage Club	3 days to 6 months after the flight (stated for partner airlines)	Log in at ana.co.jp, open My Menu and choose "Retroactive Registration". ANA's page for its own flights gives the steps but no deadline. Keep the e-ticket itinerary receipt and the original boarding pass; ANA also lists a retroactive registration application form. Partner flights can be claimed from 3 days to 6 months after departure. Asiana claims close on October 31, 2026.	ANA: Retroactive mileage registration for Mileage Club members
Qantas Frequent Flyer	12 months; 6 months for Qatar flights	Claim in My Account with the e-ticket or boarding pass once 14 days have passed. Qantas flights are reviewed within 24 hours, partners within 14 days. Flights up to 30 days before joining can be claimed. Qatar Airways flights must be claimed within six months.	Qantas: claim missing points
Virgin Australia Velocity	6 months	Wait 14 days after the flight, then claim online with the flight number and date from the e-ticket or boarding pass. Virgin Australia claims take up to 7 days and other airline partners 4 to 6 weeks. Flights up to 30 days before joining Velocity can be claimed. Non-airline partner transactions are claimed from the partner within 3 months.	Velocity Frequent Flyer: how to claim missing points
British Airways Club	6 months from the flight	Claim in the account after three days for BA flights and seven for partners. BA claims take up to seven working days and partner claims up to four weeks. New members can claim BA-marketed flights taken up to three months before joining; partner flights before joining cannot be claimed. Non-airline partner claims also close six months after the transaction.	British Airways Club: claiming missing Avios
Lufthansa Miles & More	6 months from the flight	File online or scan the boarding pass in the app, 7 days after the flight. The retroactive page says flights count even if you were not a member at the time, while the terms say miles accrue only after membership begins; expect the ticket name to have to match the account. Partner flights need the ticket number and boarding pass.	Miles & More: mileage request
Air France-KLM Flying Blue	6 months from the flight	Submit the retro claim form on flyingblue.com, with the ticket number and boarding pass for partner flights. Air France and KLM flights usually post within 24 hours, so wait a few days before claiming; partner claims need supporting documents. The terms do not say whether flights before joining count.	Flying Blue: retro claim form
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles	12 months from the flight	Claim under Miles transactions in the account or app once two weeks have passed; Turkish says miles can take that long to post. The name on the ticket must match the membership. Star Alliance partner flights are claimable within 12 months, sometimes less depending on the partner. Whether flights before joining count is not stated.	Miles&Smiles: claim missing miles
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	6 months from the flight	Claim in the Flying Club account with the ticket number and flight date; partner airlines refuse claims older than six months. Wait for the flight to post first: Virgin Atlantic flights take days, partners weeks. The terms do not say whether flights before joining count.	Flying Club: earn points
Emirates Skywards	6 months from the flight	Claim online with the booking reference and ticket number 48 hours after an Emirates or flydubai flight; partner flight claims go through live chat with the ticket number and class. New members can claim Emirates, flydubai and Qantas flights up to two months before registering, within six months of registration. Hotel, car and retail partner claims need invoices within six months and take six to eight weeks.	Emirates Skywards: claim miles
Etihad Guest	Not stated for Etihad flights	Submit boarding passes through the Etihad Guest feedback form; Etihad does not publish a claim deadline for its own flights. Flights taken up to three months before joining can be claimed. Partner transactions such as hotels and cars must be claimed with the partner within six months.	Etihad Guest FAQ
Qatar Airways Privilege Club	180 days; 90 days if joined after the trip	Qatar Airways flights: use the past-flights tool on the Privilege Club dashboard. Partner flights: contact Privilege Club with a copy of the ticket and boarding pass. If you joined after the trip, claim within 90 days of the flight.	Privilege Club: claim missing Avios

Before you file

Decide which program gets the flight. Each flight can earn in one program only, so check the earning pages for the program that pays most on your fare class before claiming.
Have the 13-digit ticket number, the flight number and date, and the boarding pass. Most forms reject a booking reference on its own.
Check that no other frequent flyer number was on the booking. If a number earned already, the miles cannot be moved.
For partner flights, expect a wait of two to eight weeks; the operating airline has to confirm the fare class.
If the claim is refused because the fare did not earn, the miles are not lost so much as never owed; the fare class tables on each program's earning page say which fares earn.

Missing miles FAQ

Can I claim miles for a flight I already took?: Yes, within the program's window. Most programs give six to twelve months from the flight date; a few give less. You need the ticket number (13 digits) and usually the boarding pass, and the name on the ticket must match the account.
Can I credit a flight to a program I joined after the flight?: It depends on the program. American, Delta and United allow claims for flights taken shortly before joining; several Asian programs require the account to have existed on the day of travel. The table shows each rule.
How do I claim miles for a partner airline flight?: Through the same missing miles form, selecting the partner airline, with the ticket number and boarding pass. Partner claims take longer, often several weeks, because the operating airline has to confirm the flight was flown in an eligible fare class.
Why was my missing miles claim refused?: The usual reasons: the fare class does not earn in that program, another frequent flyer number was on the booking and already earned, the name did not match, or the claim was outside the window. Basic economy and deep-discount fares earn nothing in many partner programs.