How to Claim Missing Delta SkyMiles

Not seeing Delta SkyMiles in your account that should be there? Forgot to add your SkyMiles number to a reservation? Wondering if you can you add previous flights to Delta SkyMiles?

Whether you’ve already taken your flight or are hoping to add your SkyMiles account to an existing reservation, Delta makes it relatively easy. Here, we explain the steps to take to claim missing miles — and some advice for avoiding hiccups in the future.

How to request missing miles after a Delta flight

After you log in to your Delta account, select Request Mileage Credit under the Manage Your Account section of the SkyMiles drop-down at the top.

You can submit a mileage claim if it has been at least seven days since the flight (some partner airlines take longer to process miles). If you're requesting missing miles from a Delta flight, enter your SkyMiles number and ticket number (found on your boarding pass or on your ticket receipt) to submit the request.

Ticket numbers for Delta-issued tickets begin with 006, while partner airline tickets will have a different prefix. If you don't know your ticket number or SkyMiles number, you can talk to a Delta phone agent to get these details after answering a few security verification questions — just call 800-221-1212.

And don’t worry if you’re not a member of SkyMiles — you can still join after a flight and request retroactive credit for flights up to nine months prior to joining the program.

» Learn more: Is it smart to get a Delta credit card?

How to add a Delta flight to your SkyMiles account

If you booked an upcoming trip and forgot to add your SkyMiles account number during checkout, or had it booked by a third party, you can still easily fix it. The specific steps depend on whether you are using the Delta website, app or a third party, but there are two basic options to add a trip to Delta SkyMiles:

• Option 1: Log into your SkyMiles account and search for your existing reservation. You should find this under “My trips” and possibly “Trip finder.” You’ll search for your itinerary using your full name and confirmation number, then can add the reservation to your account.

• Option 2: Manage your trip and add your SkyMiles account. If you have the confirmation from Delta in an email or other source, you should have a link to “Manage reservation” or similar. Follow that, then look for “Add SkyMiles number” or similar.

Both options solve the same problem, just in slightly different ways. And once you’ve added your SkyMiles number to your reservation (or your reservation to your SkyMiles account), there’s no need to follow through with the other option.

More missing Delta miles advice

Keep your boarding pass

Savvy travelers know to keep their boarding passes until after any miles have posted to their frequent flyer account. When earning miles with Delta SkyMiles partners, this tip is especially valuable, as miles can post slowly when SkyTeam partners are involved.

Add your SkyMiles number to every reservation

While it’s easy to follow up on those missing miles, another tip is to always make sure your SkyMiles number is in your reservation and appears on your boarding pass before travel.

Reach out on social media

If you have your boarding pass and ticket receipt, you can reach out to Delta on Twitter or Facebook (via direct messages) to share details like ticket number, booking class and boarding pass to see if they can help. Otherwise, you’ll need to visit Delta’s website for assistance.

Know how long until SkyMiles show up

Officially, the airline states that mileage earned under the SkyMiles program will be credited to your account within eight weeks after qualifying activity occurs; however, on the Retroactive Mileage Credit page, the airline trims their promise considerably:

"Wait 7 days after your flight before submitting your request for flight credit, as

• Most flights post to your account within 24 hours of travel.

• Partner flights can take up to 7 days to post."

To that end, you may want to hold off on racing to request retroactive mileage until a few weeks post-trip.

» Learn more: Plan your next SkyMiles redemption with this handy tool

Final thoughts on how to add old trips to SkyMiles

It's always best to ensure your mileage number is on your reservation and printed on your boarding pass before travel. But even if it is and your miles still don’t post, requesting them from Delta is easy. Just save your documentation like a ticket receipt and boarding pass for proof of travel.

Keep in mind that some of the cheapest fares on Delta partners are eligible for minimal (if any) mileage accrual. If you’re not sure if your fare is eligible for mileage credit, you can check by selecting your airline here.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2022, including those best for: