How to claim missing frequent flyer points after a flight

You usually earn frequent flyer points by providing your membership number when you make a booking, or by adding it before you fly. The points are then credited to your account after the trip. But sometimes points may not show up in your account after a flight. Maybe you forgot to add your frequent flyer number, used a travel booking service or flew directly with a partner airline that hasn’t passed the information on to your frequent flyer program. And if you’re a new member, you may not even know you can claim points for previous eligible flights.

Whatever the case, points can be delayed or go missing entirely – and then it’s up to you to get them back. This guide outlines what you need to do to claim missing or post-flight points for different airline reward programs so that you can get all the points you deserve.

How do I claim missing frequent flyer points or miles after a flight?

Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas recommends you wait up to 15 days after a flight for points to be credited to your account (when you have included your frequent flyer number on bookings). Otherwise, you can claim Qantas Frequent Flyer points for eligible flights made within the past 12 months and for any eligible flights taken up to 30 days before the date you registered for the frequent flyer program.

• Flights with Qantas. You can claim eligible flights with Qantas online in a few simple steps. Log in to your Qantas Frequent Flyer account, select the “Claim Missing Points” option, and enter the details of your flight including the flight number, travel date, departure and arrival points. Claims for Qantas flights take up to three working days to process and will be shown on your account Activity Statement.
• Travel with Qantas partners. You can claim most flights with Qantas partners online using the “Claim Missing Points” form. Select the Airline code from the dropdown list, and enter the relevant information as outlined above. These claims can take up to 14 days to process. If your partner airline is not listed, you can submit a claim via the Frequent Flyer Service Centre by calling 13 11 31 and following the prompts. You will need to include original boarding passes, copies of tickets along with any other supporting documentation confirming your entitlement to the missing points.
• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. You can claim points for any eligible flights taken up to 30 days before the date you registered for the Qantas Frequent Flyer program by using the “Claim Missing Points” form online.

Note that you can only claim points for flights that you take. Qantas also recommends you keep all relevant documentation until your claim has been processed.

Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer

Velocity points earned on eligible flights can take up to 14 days to show up on your account. If you still don’t see points for a flight after this time, you can make a claim within 6 months of the travel date, or 30 days prior to joining the Velocity program. The claim process for partner airlines varies depending on the carrier and can take between four to six weeks to process. We’ve outlined each option based on airlines below.

• Flights with Virgin Australia. For Virgin Australia, you can submit a claim online by logging into your Velocity account and selecting “Claim missing points” from the home page. You will need to enter the airline, flight number, departure date and origin and destination information for the flight. Virgin Australia claims may take up to seven days to process.
• Flights with Virgin Samoa, Air New Zealand, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines or SilkAir. If your flight was with any of these airlines, you can claim the points online by selecting “Claim missing points” from your Velocity membership homepage and entering the relevant flight information.
• Flights with Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America or Air Berlin. For flights with these partner airlines, call 13 18 75 and provide your membership details and flight information. You may also be asked to submit a copy of your ticket.
• Flights with Delta or Alitalia. Email retro@velocityfrequentflyer.com with your membership name, Velocity membership number, a copy of your ticket and a copy of your boarding pass.
• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. Email your Velocity membership number and a copy of your electronic ticket and boarding pass to retro@velocityfrequentflyer.com. These claims take between two and six weeks to process.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines' KrisFlyer loyalty program recommends you wait between two to four weeks for points to show up on your account. After that, you can submit a claim for missing points from flights taken within the last six months.

• Flights with Singapore Airlines or SilkAir. Log in to your KrisFlyer account and submit a missing points claim. You will need to provide details of the airline you flew with, the flight number, travel date and departure and arrival information.
• Flights with Singapore Airlines partners. Download the Claim Missing Points form (.pdf) and fill out the relevant sections. You will need to provide your KrisFlyer membership number, name, contact details, the flight number and ticket class, as well as origin and destination details. Email your completed form to SQRetro@mentormediacorp.com. Alternatively, you can fax it to +65 6631 3414 or post it to KrisFIyer Membership Services PO Box 177, Singapore Post Centre Post Office, Singapore 914006. Valid claims will be added to your account within six to eight weeks after verification.
• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. KrisFlyer currently only awards missing points for bookings where you have already provided your membership number when making a reservation and checking in for the flight. That means you cannot claim points for any flights you have taken before you join the program.

Emirates Skywards

Unlike most airlines, Emirates outlines the Skywards point claim process based on the circumstances, rather than on the airline you’ve flown with.

• Missing points for eligible flights. If you have flown with Emirates or a partner airline and provided your membership number but never received any points, you can log in to your account and submit a claim online by providing the flight details. Alternatively, you can call Emirates on +61 1300 303 777 and provide this information over the phone.
• Missing points for partner flights. The process you follow to claim missing miles in Skywards depends on the airline. Points for flydubai flights can be claimed on the flydubai website using a claim form, whereas to claim points for flights on other partner airlines you can speak to someone on live chat and provide your e-ticket number.
• Bookings where you forgot to include your Emirates Skywards details. You can claim Skywards Miles up to six months after an eligible flight. Log in to your account online and submit a claim, including the airline, flight number, travel date and origin and destination.
• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. New Skywards members can claim points for flights taken up to two months before enrolling.

Etihad Guest

The Etihad Guest frequent flyer program allows you to claim missing points within six months of the transaction date.

• Flights with Etihad. Log in to your Etihad Guest account and submit your retro claim online. You will need to include details of your flights, including the airline, flight number and origin and destination.
• Flights with Etihad partners. Email retroclaims@etihadguest.com with your Etihad Guest Number, full name, flight number, origin and destination, cabin, booked class, booking reference and ticket number. You will also be required to include a copy of your boarding pass. Note that missing points from Etihad partner flights have to be confirmed with the partner airline, so the processing time could take longer than with direct flights.
• Travel Flights before you were an Etihad Guest member. If you’re a new member of the Etihad Guest program, you can claim miles for up to three months prior to your enrolment in the program. For Etihad flights just email a copy of your Etihad boarding pass to retroclaims@etihadguest.com. For partner airline flights, you will need to email your boarding pass as well as your membership number.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways allows you to claim Avios and Tier Points for any British Airways and partner flights where your Executive Club membership number had not been added to the booking beforehand or the Avios and Tier Points have not been credited properly. You can do this for any eligible flight within six months of the travel date.

• Flights with British Airways. Log in to your Executive Club account online. Select the “Claim missing points” option and enter the required details. You’ll need your ticket number and boarding pass details to submit a claim. Alternatively, you can download and complete a British Airways claim form. British Airways flight claims will normally be processed within seven days.

• Flights with British Airways partners. Log in to your Executive Club account online. Select the “Claim missing points” option and enter the required details. You’ll need your ticket number and boarding pass details to submit a claim. Alternatively, download and complete a Partner airline claims form. These claims could take up to 28 days to process.

• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. British Airways allows you to claim Avios and Tier Points for any British Airways flights flown within three months of your joining date using one of the methods above. You have six months from the date of the flight to make the claim.

Cathay Pacific Marco Polo Club

Cathay Pacific has two parts to its frequent flyer program. Its official option is the Marco Polo Club, which earns points as well as airline status. But the airline is also linked to Asia Miles – an independent travel rewards program that earns miles for Cathay Pacific flights and partner flights. Asia Miles also has a wide range of other partners, including Dragonair, Air New Zealand, American Airlines and Qantas. When you sign up for Marco Polo, you automatically get membership to Asia Miles.

• Claiming missing points with Marco Polo. Sign in to your account via the Cathay Pacific website. Select “Manage Your club points and/or Asia Miles” and then “Claim Missing club points and/or Asia Miles” to complete a Missing Mileage Request Form online. You will need to include details of the airline, flight number, travel date, fare class, ticket number and the origin and destination. Note that you cannot earn points for any flights taken before your enrolment date.
• Claiming missing points with Asia Miles. Asia Miles allows you to claim points for flights up to 30 days prior to your enrolment in the program. To claim points, log in to your account on the Asia Miles website, select “Manage Your Miles”, then “Claim Missing Miles” and fill in the flight details. You will need to include copies of your original ticket and boarding pass for your request to be processed.

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand allows you to claim Airpoints Dollars or Status points for flights up to six months after the travel date if you are an Airpoints member. It’s recommended you wait three to four weeks after a travel date to make sure the points are not credited to your account before making a claim. It offers claims online or by post for both Air New Zealand and partner airlines.

• Claiming missing points online. Sign into your Air New Zealand Account, select “My Bookings”, then “Claim missing Airpoints” and fill out the form. You will need to provide your flight details, as well as the ticket number and booking class. For flights with Air New Zealand, you’ll also need to provide your seat number.
• Request missing points by post. Just send copies of your boarding passes, other relevant flight information and your Airpoints Membership details to the Air New Zealand Contact Centre: Private Bag 93537, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 New Zealand.
• Flights before you’ve joined the frequent flyer program. If you’re a new Airpoints member, you can claim points for any eligible flights taken within 30 days of your joining date using one of the methods above.

Mistakes to avoid when claiming missing points

• Not keeping your booking details and tickets. If you need to claim missing points or request points after a flight, you’ll need your booking information and ticket details. Some frequent flyer programs also require copies of your ticket and boarding pass. Plan to keep hard copies of these documents, scan them or take photos so that you provide enough information for your claim to be approved.
• Claiming points for two different frequent flyer programs. While there may be some flights where you can earn rewards for two different frequent flyer programs, in most cases you will have to choose just one option for your points. If that’s the case, you won’t be able to submit a claim for missing points for another program using the same flight details, so make sure you choose the right frequent flyer program for each booking you make.
• Submitting a claim early. Depending on the program, it could take a few weeks for points to be credited to your frequent flyer account after a trip. Check with the airline, and wait the standard amount of time before submitting a points claim to avoid any further confusion, complications or delays.

While it’s ideal to have points automatically added to your frequent flyer account after every trip, sometimes that’s not possible. But now you know how to claim points after flights for a variety of frequent flyer programs, you can make sure you always get points for eligible flights you take.

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Written by

Sally McMullen

Producer

Sally McMullen was a creative content producer at Finder. Sally wrote about credit cards for almost 5 years, authoring almost 900 articles on Finder alone. She has also been published in Yahoo Finance, Dynamic Business, Financy and Mamamia, as well as Music Feeds and Rolling Stone. Sally has a Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies majoring in Journalism (Hons) from the University of Wollongong. See full bio