Three Italian doctors stranded in Chicago for 36 hours when an airline cancelled their flight finally did what frazzled flyers around the world have only dreamed about: they sued the airline - and won.

Claiming "distress", "suffering" and even "physical and psychological pain", the trio took Italy's Alitalia to court for scrapping their flight out of Chicago and taking 36 hours to get them on a new one.

A judge in southern Italy ordered Alitalia to pay them a combined total of 4,500 euros ($5,700), well beyond standard compensation, to cover "moral damages" and legal fees.

"Until now the burden of a cancelled flight has been carried by the passenger," said Paolo Martinello, head of consumer association Altroconsumo, which provided the doctors' lawyers. "The companies need to know that if the aircraft doesn't take off, if there's a problem at the airport, it will cost them."

Alitalia did not comment. Altroconsumo said it did not know if Alitalia would appeal.

Among the arguments made by the doctors' legal team was that the men were sleep deprived, being kept at the airport until very late, and that the trio, who hail from sunny southern Italy, were exposed to the "extremely cold" Chicago winter, Martinello said.