How to Claim Missing American Airlines Miles

One of the most annoying things that can happen in the miles and points game is when you spend the money, take the flight but forget to get credit for your miles. It could be as simple as forgetting to add your frequent flyer number to a flight. Maybe you’re booking through a third party travel site, or you’re not logged into your frequent flyer account when you book, or you simply don’t have one.

Whatever the reason is, all is not lost. In most cases, it’s easy to claim your missing airline miles even after you fly.

If it's American Airlines miles you're missing, here's how to retroactively claim them.

Request missing AAdvantage miles

The American Airlines website has a page dedicated to requesting retroactive mileage credit. To request mileage credit, you'll need your AAdvantage number and your ticket number. The record locator will not be sufficient, you’ll need to look up the ticket number.

The 13-digit ticket number is printed on your ticket and provided in the booking confirmation email, depending on where you booked your flight. If you don’t have your ticket number, you can get it by calling AAdvantage at 800-433-7300.

If you're not yet enrolled in the AAdvantage program this could be a great time to do so.

You can submit your mileage claim as long as it has been at least three days from the completed flight. It can take up to 10 days to credit the miles for an American Airlines flight. Remember, you can receive AAdvantage miles for flights taken on partner airlines. Mileage credit for partner airline flights can take up to 30 days to appear.

» Learn More: Find the best airline credit card for you

Final thoughts on claiming American Airlines miles after your flight

If you forgot to input your AAdvantage number when you booked your ticket, all is not lost. Submit the form online or get in touch with AA’s customer service to get your miles credited to your account.