I think you're confusing matters. It's much simpler than that. This is the case for all frequent flyer programs:

- Contact the airline or your travel agent and ask them to add your frequent flyer number to the booking.
- You should get the miles credited after flying each sector.

What you mentioned about Emirates is not true. You can never get miles UNTIL AFTER you've flown an outbound or inbound of a ticket. You can NEVER get miles credited by simply adding the frequent flyer number to an unflown ticket.

What you're probably referring to is the ANTICIPATED/EXPECTED mileage earning that Emirates allow you to see on your Skywards account. The miles get credited AFTER flying, and not before that.