Can I Claim Airline Miles From Old Flights? Deadlines by Airline for 2026

By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 11, 2026. Editorial Policy

Can I claim airline miles from old flights? Yes, if the flight was recent enough. American, United, Southwest, JetBlue and Atmos Rewards (Alaska and Hawaiian) accept requests for 12 months after the flight, and Delta for nine months. You need the ticket number, the miles go only to the person who flew, and a flight can be credited to one program only. Flights you took before joining a program are harder: American allows six months back on its own flights, and Delta’s own rules do not address it.

I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We buy miles and points, and there are no affiliate links on this site. Below are the deadlines by airline, what to send, and the fares that earn nothing however you claim them.

Claiming airline miles from old flights

Contents hide
1 Deadlines for US Airlines
2 What Changed in 2025 and 2026
3 How to File a Claim
3.1 Two rules that catch people
4 Flights on Partner Airlines
5 Foreign Programs
6 What an Old Flight Is Worth
7 Why a Claim Gets Refused
8 Claims That Are Not Flight Claims
9 Frequently Asked Questions
9.1 How far back can I claim airline miles?
9.2 Can I claim miles if I was not a member when I flew?
9.3 Do I need my boarding pass?
9.4 Where do I find my ticket number?
9.5 Can I claim miles from a flight my spouse or child took?
9.6 How long do claimed miles take to arrive?
9.7 Can I move miles to a different airline program after they post?
10 Sources
11 Update Log

Deadlines for US Airlines

Program Deadline after the flight Wait before asking Flights before you joined What you need
American AAdvantage 12 months American flights post in 1 to 3 days; partner airlines can take 30 American flights up to 6 months before you joined; partner flights up to 30 days 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 Not addressed in Delta’s rules; NerdWallet says up to 9 months before you joined Ticket number, which starts 006 on Delta tickets
United MileagePlus 12 months About 7 days; 14 for Virgin Australia Up to 6 months, through the MileagePlus Service Center Ticket number, which starts 016 on United tickets
Southwest Rapid Rewards 12 months Southwest takes up to 5 days to verify Not stated by Southwest; The Points Guy says you need not have been a member Confirmation number
Atmos Rewards (Alaska, Hawaiian) 12 months 7 days Partner flights require membership on the day of travel Ticket number; keep the boarding pass and receipt
JetBlue TrueBlue 12 months About 14 days, per The Points Guy Not stated Sign in and use “Request missing points”

Sources: American (terms section 2.E) and its FAQ, Delta (rules updated January 1, 2026) and NerdWallet (July 16, 2026), NerdWallet for United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, and The Points Guy’s retroactive credit guide (December 3, 2025). United’s own page would not load when this was checked, so that row is from NerdWallet and The Points Guy.

Where to file: American, Delta, United and Atmos Rewards have request forms. Southwest and JetBlue put the link inside your account.

What Changed in 2025 and 2026

The deadlines have not moved. What has changed is how many flights are worth claiming, because more of the cheapest fares now earn nothing:

  • American: Basic Economy tickets bought on or after December 17, 2025 earn no miles.
  • United: since April 2, 2026, members with no United card and no status earn nothing on basic economy, and 3 miles per dollar on other fares, down from 5, per NerdWallet.
  • Delta: Main Basic earns no miles, per Delta.
  • Alaska and Hawaiian: Saver fares booked on or after June 11, 2026 earn no points for travel from August 1, 2026, per NerdWallet.
  • Hawaiian flights: only those flown on or after April 22, 2026 can be claimed through the main Atmos Rewards form. Earlier ones go through the partner airline process.

So check the fare before you spend time on a claim. A Basic Economy receipt from this year is usually worth nothing in miles.

How to File a Claim

  1. Find the ticket number. It is 13 digits and sits on the e-ticket receipt emailed when you booked, and on the boarding pass. Southwest uses the confirmation number from the reservation.
  2. Join the program if you have not. Use exactly the name on the ticket. American requires the name, date of birth and address on the account to match the reservation.
  3. Wait for the miles to post on their own. Most do within a few days. File only after the waiting period in the table.
  4. Submit the online form with the ticket number and your member number.
  5. Keep the boarding pass and receipt until the miles show. American says it may ask for ticket coupons, boarding passes or receipts.

Two rules that catch people

  • One flight, one program. Delta’s rules say a flight can earn in only one loyalty program, and once the credit is recorded it cannot be moved. American says you cannot change the program after the flight departs. Decide where a partner flight should go before you fly.
  • Only the traveler earns. Miles go to the person whose name is on the ticket. JetBlue states that you cannot earn points on a flight you bought for someone else. If you want to pay for another person’s trip with your miles, that is a different process, covered in using airline miles to buy a ticket for someone else.

Flights on Partner Airlines

You claim from the program you want the miles in, not from the airline you flew. Partner claims are slower and need more paper:

  • American: partner flights can take up to 30 days to post. The 12 month deadline is the same.
  • Delta: wait 90 days, then send a copy of the ticket receipt and boarding passes with your name and SkyMiles number.
  • Atmos Rewards: wait 14 days. The deadline is 12 months for American, Fiji Airways and Qantas flights, and 6 months for British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Oman Air. You must have been a member on the day you flew.
  • Southwest: contact Southwest within 12 months.
  • JetBlue: the window varies by partner.

Foreign Programs

Program Deadline after the flight Flights before you joined
British Airways Club 6 months British Airways flights up to 3 months before; partner flights not at all
Air France-KLM Flying Blue 6 months Not stated in the terms
Lufthansa Miles & More 6 months Allowed within the 6 months
Emirates Skywards 6 months Emirates, flydubai and Qantas flights up to 2 months before
Qatar Airways Privilege Club 180 days Submit within 90 days of the trip
Singapore KrisFlyer 6 months Up to 30 days before
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles 6 months Up to 30 days before
Turkish Miles&Smiles 12 months Not stated
Qantas Frequent Flyer 12 months Not stated on the claim page

Sources: the claim pages of British Airways, Flying Blue, Miles & More, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines and Qantas, read October 11, 2026.

What an Old Flight Is Worth

Less than people expect, because most programs now pay by the dollar. A member with no status earns 5 miles per dollar of base fare at American and Delta and 3 at United. A $400 base fare is 2,000 American miles, which is about $29 at the 1.45 cents The Points Guy puts on an American mile. The same fare at United is 1,200 miles.

It can still be worth five minutes, for three reasons. Several flights add up. A claim brings status credit with it: American credits Loyalty Points and Delta credits MQDs along with the miles. And at American a credited flight is earning activity, which resets the 24 month expiry clock; see how to keep American Airlines miles from expiring. For how the values are worked out, see what airline miles are worth.

Why a Claim Gets Refused

  • The deadline has passed.
  • The fare earns nothing: Basic Economy at American, Main Basic at Delta, basic economy at United without a card or status, Saver at Alaska.
  • It was an award ticket. Tickets paid with miles do not earn miles.
  • The name or date of birth on the account does not match the ticket.
  • The flight was already credited to another program.
  • The ticket was refunded or unused.
  • You joined after the flight and the program does not credit flights from before you joined.

Claims That Are Not Flight Claims

  • Expired miles are a separate matter. American sells expired miles back for up to 24 months; the other big US programs do not expire miles at all.
  • Hotel stays and car rentals: go to the hotel or rental company. Atmos Rewards says to wait 30 days first. American allows 12 months.
  • Shopping portal miles: for American’s portal, wait 15 days after the purchase and then open an inquiry with the order number, per AwardWallet. More on portals in how to earn airline miles without a credit card.

Once the miles are in, the next question is whether to spend them or pay cash: see using airline miles versus paying for flights.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far back can I claim airline miles?

12 months at American, United, Southwest, JetBlue and Atmos Rewards, and 9 months at Delta. Most foreign programs allow 6 months.

Can I claim miles if I was not a member when I flew?

Sometimes. American credits its own flights from up to 6 months before you joined and partner flights from 30 days before. United allows 6 months through its service center. Atmos Rewards requires membership on the travel date for partner flights.

Do I need my boarding pass?

Usually not for a flight on the program’s own airline: the ticket number is enough. Partner airline claims often need a boarding pass and the ticket receipt, so keep both until the miles post.

Where do I find my ticket number?

On the e-ticket receipt emailed at booking and on the boarding pass. It is 13 digits. Delta tickets start with 006 and United tickets with 016.

Can I claim miles from a flight my spouse or child took?

No. Miles go to the traveler named on the ticket. Each person claims into their own account. United and JetBlue then let family members pool miles for free.

How long do claimed miles take to arrive?

Southwest says verification takes up to 5 days. American says partner airline flights can take up to 30 days. Singapore Airlines quotes 2 to 4 weeks.

Can I move miles to a different airline program after they post?

No. Once a flight is credited to one program it stays there.

Sources

Update Log

  • October 11, 2026: Rewritten in the first person by Joseph Hellman-Benjamin. Corrected the deadline table against each airline’s own rules, added the 2025 and 2026 fares that no longer earn, partner airline and foreign program deadlines, filing steps and dated sources. Removed three broken links.
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