By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 18, 2026. Editorial Policy
How long do you have to claim missing miles? At the large US programs, 12 months after the flight, except Delta at 9 months. Most foreign programs allow only 6 months, and Qatar 180 days. Enter the date you flew to see your last day to claim.
Calculator
Missing miles claim deadline
- Wait before claiming: Delta’s rules say 30 days, or 90 for partners; NerdWallet says a claim is accepted after 7 days.
- What you need: Ticket number (Delta tickets start 006)
Claim Deadlines by Program
| Program | Deadline after the flight | Wait before claiming | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| American AAdvantage | 12 months | American flights post in 1 to 3 days; partner airlines can take 30. | Ticket number and AAdvantage number |
| Delta SkyMiles | 9 months | Delta’s rules say 30 days, or 90 for partners; NerdWallet says a claim is accepted after 7 days. | Ticket number (Delta tickets start 006) |
| United MileagePlus | 12 months | About 7 days; 14 for Virgin Australia. | Ticket number (United tickets start 016) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 12 months | Southwest takes up to 5 days to verify. | Confirmation number |
| Atmos Rewards (Alaska, Hawaiian) | 12 months | 7 days. | Ticket number; keep the boarding pass and receipt |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | 12 months | About 14 days, per The Points Guy. | Sign in and use “Request missing points” |
| British Airways Club | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Air France-KLM Flying Blue | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Lufthansa Miles & More | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Emirates Skywards | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | 180 days | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Singapore KrisFlyer | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 6 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Turkish Miles&Smiles | 12 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 12 months | Not stated. | Ticket number |
From each program’s own rules and claim pages, read October 11, 2026. Full details, including flights taken before you joined, are in can I claim airline miles from old flights?
Check the Fare Earns Miles First
A missing-miles claim only works if the fare earned miles in the first place. Several fares now earn nothing: American Basic Economy bought from December 17, 2025; United basic economy without a card or status from April 2, 2026; Delta Main Basic; and Alaska Saver fares from August 1, 2026.
How to File a Claim
- Wait the posting time shown above; most flights credit on their own.
- Keep the ticket number (or Southwest confirmation number), the boarding pass and the receipt.
- File through the program you want the miles in, not the airline you flew, when you credited a partner flight.
- Use the online form where there is one; it is faster than phone or email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I claim miles for a flight before I joined?
Sometimes. American allows its own flights up to 6 months before you joined and partner flights up to 30 days; United allows up to 6 months through its service center. Foreign programs vary: Singapore and Cathay allow 30 days, Emirates 2 months for some airlines, British Airways 3 months for its own flights and none for partners, and Lufthansa anything within its 6-month window.
What if the deadline has passed?
You can still ask. Some programs make exceptions for a good reason, but none promises one.
Do miles expire after I claim them?
That depends on the program. Use our miles expiry date calculator.
More calculators: Miles expiry date, Airline miles to dollars, Flight distance and miles earned, or see all our calculators.
Sources
- The Points King: can I claim airline miles from old flights? (deadline tables and program sources), October 11, 2026
- American Airlines: AAdvantage terms and conditions, updated January 13, 2026
- Delta: SkyMiles program rules, updated January 1, 2026
- NerdWallet: claiming missing Delta SkyMiles, updated July 16, 2026
- Southwest: request points for a past flight, read October 11, 2026
- Alaska Airlines: Atmos Rewards request credit, read October 11, 2026
- JetBlue: earning points, read October 11, 2026
- British Airways: claiming missing Avios, read October 11, 2026
- NerdWallet: United 2026 mileage changes, updated June 16, 2026