How to Add Past Flight Miles to United MileagePlus

Make sure your MileagePlus number is on your reservation and boarding pass to avoid having to request past miles.

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When flying United Airlines, Star Alliance and United partner flights, be sure that your MileagePlus number is attached to the reservation and appears on your boarding pass. If you want to redeem those valuable miles for a free trip, it can pay off to make sure they post to your account in the first place.

If they don't, here’s exactly how to add past flight miles to United MileagePlus.

Claim United miles for past flights on the airline

Head over to United's website to request missing miles from a United flight. You'll need to log in to your MileagePlus account to submit your request.

Your ticket number, which begins with 016 on United tickets, is all you need. Occasionally, United may request a copy of your boarding pass and receipt.

Input your ticket number and hit "Submit."

Request missing miles for flights on Star Alliance and partner airlines

To claim missing miles on Star Alliance or partner airlines, head over to the same page on United's website. You may be asked to provide details like destination and departure city or fare class.

Ticket numbers for partner airlines may have a different prefix than 016, which United tickets have. United also advises that travelers wait at least seven days for miles to post before trying to get credit for past flights by submitting a missing mileage request.

Travelers can retroactively request United miles from partner flights in the past year. Those who haven't joined MileagePlus yet can still join and retroactively request miles from the past six months’ flights.

Be aware that not all partner flights are eligible for earning mileage. You can check your airline and fare class paid on United's airline partners page.

Request missing miles for other MileagePlus partners

You can also request United miles retroactively for travel on Amtrak. To request missing miles from eligible train travel, wait at least 15 days. If they don't post to your account, you can upload proof of travel and a receipt by going to the same page on United's website.

In addition to train travel, on the same website, you can request missing miles for spending on hotels, car rentals and other partners.

» Learn more: Your guide to booking award flights on United

Final thoughts on requesting missing United miles

You can save time and effort by ensuring your MileagePlus number is both added to your reservation and printed on your boarding pass. Still, things can fall through the cracks. By following these steps (and confirming that your past flights have properly posted), you can add miles to a MileagePlus account after a trip and help your balance fill up for your next free flight.

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