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Missing miles · American Airlines AAdvantage

How to claim missing American Airlines AAdvantage miles

Request missing flight miles online with American's Request flight miles form within 12 months of the flight date, after allowing up to 10 days for an American flight or 30 days for a partner flight to post.

The terms let new members claim American-marketed and operated flights up to 6 months before enrolling, but partner airline flights only up to 30 days before.

Miles from hotels, car rentals and other non-airline partners are claimed with the partner directly, not with American.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

Claim deadline
12 months
Wait before claiming
10 days (American), 30 days (partners)
Flights before joining
6 months (American), 30 days (partners)

American Airlines flights

Claim from
American asks members to allow up to 10 days for travel on American Airlines to post; its FAQ says American travel is usually credited 1 to 3 days from the date of travel.
Deadline
12 months from the flight date.
Where to claim
American: Request flight miles
  1. Check your AAdvantage account first: allow up to 10 days after an American flight for the miles to post.
  2. Open the Request flight miles form on aa.com and enter the flight details.
  3. Keep ticket coupons, boarding passes and receipts, since American may ask for them as proof.

How long it takes: Not stated for claims.

Partner airline flights

Claim from
Allow up to 30 days for travel on partner airlines to post before filing.
Deadline
12 months from the flight date.
Where to claim
American: Request flight miles
  1. Wait up to 30 days after the partner flight for the miles to post.
  2. If they are still missing, request them online with the same Request flight miles form, within 12 months of the flight date.

How long it takes: Not stated for claims.

Exceptions and partner rules

  • Partner airline travel more than 30 days before your AAdvantage enrollment date is not eligible, against 6 months for flights marketed and operated by American.

Hotel, car rental and other non-airline partners

Claim from
American says activity from other AAdvantage partners is generally credited within 30 days, and occasionally takes longer.
Deadline
The terms allow requests for past, eligible transactions up to 12 months from the activity date.
Where to claim
American: Request missing miles
  1. Contact the partner directly: American says missing non-airline partner miles are claimed with the partner.
  2. The terms tell members to check with each partner how it records mileage-earning transactions.

What to have ready

  • Copies of ticket coupons, boarding passes and receipts, which the terms say American may require as proof of an eligible transaction.
  • Your AAdvantage number, which the terms say must be in the reservation record for any transaction you want to earn on.
  • Reservation details that match your account: name, date of birth and address.

Flights taken before you joined

  • The AAdvantage terms say that, unless American permits otherwise in its sole discretion, these are not eligible for miles or Loyalty Points: travel on airline AAdvantage partners more than 30 days before your enrollment date, travel on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines more than 6 months before your enrollment date, and non-flight transactions more than 6 months before your enrollment date.
  • Within those limits, you can request miles and Loyalty Points for past, eligible transactions up to 12 months from the activity date.

Rules that decide a claim

  • The information on your AAdvantage account, such as name, date of birth and address, must match the information in your reservation.
  • Unless American states otherwise, miles and Loyalty Points cannot be earned for the same flight, hotel stay or car rental in both AAdvantage and any other loyalty program.
  • Your AAdvantage number must be in the reservation record for any transaction you want to earn on.
  • Consolidator, bulk fare or student tickets where the actual fare is not disclosed may not be eligible to earn.
  • On complimentary, Instant or systemwide upgrades, miles and Loyalty Points accrue on the class booked before the upgrade, not on the upgraded class flown.

Fees

  • American lists no fee for a missing-miles request.

If American Airlines AAdvantage refuses a claim

  • Miles cannot be moved in from another program: the terms say mileage accumulated in another loyalty program cannot be transferred to AAdvantage.
  • For account help in the US and Canada, AAdvantage customer service is at 800-882-8880, 24 hours a day; other inquiries go through American's contact forms.

Missing American Airlines AAdvantage miles: FAQ

How long do I have to claim missing AAdvantage miles?
American lets you request missing flight miles online within 12 months of the flight date.
How soon can I request missing American Airlines miles?
American asks you to allow up to 10 days for American flights and up to 30 days for partner airline flights to post before requesting them.
Can I claim AAdvantage miles for a flight before I joined?
Yes, within limits. The terms exclude flights marketed and operated by American more than 6 months before your enrollment date and partner airline flights more than 30 days before it.
How do I claim AAdvantage miles for a partner airline flight?
Wait up to 30 days for the flight to post, then use the same online Request flight miles form within 12 months of the flight date.
How do I get missing AAdvantage miles from a hotel or car rental?
Contact the partner directly. American says missing non-airline partner miles are handled by the partner, not by American.
Can I move a flight credited to another program to AAdvantage?
No. The terms say miles cannot be earned for the same flight in AAdvantage and another loyalty program, and miles from another program cannot be transferred to AAdvantage.

Sources

More on American Airlines AAdvantage