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.

ARE YOU EARNING ALL THE MILES YOU CAN?

A United Airlines credit card not only allows you to earn more miles when you fly United, but in many cases gives you additional miles for everyday spending. On top of that, United cards offer day-of-travel benefits and other perks that can more than make up for their annual fee. Options include:

United Gateway℠ Card

NerdWallet Rating

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.

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on Chase's website

United℠ Explorer Card

NerdWallet Rating

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.

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on Chase's website

United Quest℠ Card

NerdWallet Rating

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.

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on Chase's website

United Club℠ Infinite Card

NerdWallet Rating

NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account the type of card being reviewed (such as cash back, travel or balance transfer) and the card's rates, fees, rewards and other features.

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on Chase's website

Annual fee

$0.

$0 intro for the first year, then $95.

$250.

$525.

Earning rates

• 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at gas stations.

• 2 miles per $1 on local transit and commuting.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants.

• 2 miles per $1 on hotels (when booked directly with the hotel).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 3 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel (including other airlines, hotels, car rentals and more).

• 2 miles per $1 on dining (including takeout and delivery).

• 2 miles per $1 on select streaming services.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 4 miles per $1 spent on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 on all other travel.

• 2 miles per $1 on dining.

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

Other benefits

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• 2 United Club one-time passes each year.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• $125 United purchase credit per year (good on airfare).

• Two 5,000-mile award flight credits per anniversary year.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.

• Access to United Club airport lounges.

• Credit of up to $100 every four years for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.

• Priority boarding.

• No foreign transaction fees.

Bonus offer

Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open..

Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Still not sure?

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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.

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.

Get up to 80,000 miles with our favorite United cards

Check out our nerdy picks for the best United credit cards and find the right card for you.

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