in this case
- Daniel Lichtblau booked two ITA Airways tickets from Chicago to Turin four months in advance. Then primary osteoarthritis in his right hip made the long transatlantic flight medically impossible.
- He submitted a medical certificate from his orthopedic surgeon covering the travel dates and requested a refund for his ticket and a date change for his wife’s ticket.
- ITA initially confirmed it received the documentation, then denied the refund claiming the certificate lacked a “prognosis” covering the dates. The airline refused to specify what additional language was required.
Daniel Lichtblau is forced to cancel his flight to Italy because of a painful hip condition. He provides ITA Airways with medical documentation, but it refuses a full refund and won’t clearly explain what additional information it needs. How could a routine medical refund turn into such a frustrating puzzle?
Question
I booked two ITA Airways tickets for travel from Chicago to Turin, Italy, four months ago. Shortly after I made my reservation, I learned I could not travel due to primary osteoarthritis in my right hip.
I submitted a medical certificate from my orthopedic surgeon covering the travel dates and requested a refund for my ticket and a date change for my wife’s ticket. ITA initially confirmed it received the documentation, but later denied my refund, claiming the certificate lacked a “prognosis” covering the travel dates.
ITA wouldn’t specify what additional information was required, and phone support couldn’t connect me to anyone who could resolve the issue. How can I get ITA to honor the refund or allow the ticket transfer as its customer service promised? — Daniel Lichtblau, Champaign, Ill.
Answer
Ouch! I’m sorry to hear about your hip diagnosis. Primary osteoarthritis can cause significant pain and reduce mobility, and it’s completely understandable that a long transatlantic flight would be impossible for you.
You acted responsibly by obtaining medical documentation and promptly submitting it to ITA Airways. Refunds are never guaranteed when you have a medical condition, but if an ITA representative asked you for the medical paperwork, chances are you met all the criteria.
The difficulty here stems from ITA’s specific requirements for medical refunds. It wants a certificate that not only lists a diagnosis but also includes a prognosis specifying the exact dates you are unable to travel. While your original note did indicate your inability to fly, ITA insisted it didn’t meet its definition of “prognosis.” This can feel frustrating, especially when you’ve done everything correctly.
To resolve this, request a revised letter from your surgeon explicitly stating the period during which you were unfit to fly — from the date of diagnosis through your expected recovery. Make sure it is on official letterhead, signed, and clearly lists the start and end dates. Keep a detailed paper trail of all correspondence, including emails, call logs, and written confirmations.
Under U.S. and state consumer protection laws, airlines must provide accurate guidance about their refund requirements. While your ticket is technically nonrefundable, ITA, like other airlines that promise medical exceptions, must give you a fair chance to meet its criteria. If internal appeals fail, you can file complaints with the U.S. Department of Transportation or your state attorney general’s consumer protection office to ensure the airline adheres to its policies.
Alternatively, you can appeal your case to someone higher up at ITA. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of key ITA customer service executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.
After my advocacy team contacted ITA Airways on your behalf, it processed a refund for one of your tickets. Unfortunately, ITA declined to give your wife a credit or allow a transfer of her ticket. Your case shows that persistence, clear documentation, and advocacy can make a real difference — even when an airline mishandles a medical refund request.
Your voice matters
ITA Airways denied a medical refund for vague “prognosis” reasons without explaining what specific language the certificate was missing. The airline asked for documentation, received it, and then changed the goalposts with no path to resolution.
- Should airlines be legally required to publish exact medical certificate language requirements before passengers request a refund based on a documented medical condition?
- Should companion tickets on the same booking be automatically eligible for a date change when one traveler is medically prevented from flying?
- Should the Department of Transportation be empowered to fine airlines that deny medical refunds without specifying what additional documentation is required?
What you need to know about airline medical refunds and ITA Airways policies
Quick answers to the most common questions about cancelling nonrefundable airline tickets for medical reasons, what your physician’s letter must include, and your rights when an airline keeps moving the documentation goalposts.
Most airlines offer medical exceptions on nonrefundable tickets when a passenger cannot fly due to a serious medical condition. Submit a medical certificate from your physician on official letterhead that includes your diagnosis, a clear prognosis, and the exact period during which you are unfit to fly. The physician’s signature and license number must be included. Airline approval is not guaranteed but proper documentation gives you the strongest claim. See Elliott Advocacy’s guide to how consumer complaints work.
A prognosis on a medical certificate is your physician’s professional assessment of the expected course and duration of your condition. For airline refunds, the prognosis must specify the period during which you are medically unable to travel from the diagnosis date through expected recovery. A diagnosis alone is not enough. Airlines like ITA Airways specifically require this date range to approve medical refund requests.
Airlines often deny medical refunds with vague reasons because their medical exception policies are discretionary, not mandatory. Without legal requirements to specify what documentation is missing, airlines can repeatedly reject claims by citing insufficient prognosis or unclear dates without telling passengers exactly what to fix. This goalpost-moving practice forces passengers to either give up or pursue executive escalation and regulatory complaints.
Elliott Advocacy publishes a directory of ITA Airways executive contacts including names, phone numbers, and email addresses on the ITA Airways company contacts page. Use these contacts only after standard customer service has failed to resolve your issue. Send a polite but firm letter with full documentation including your medical certificate, original booking, and timeline of denial communications.
Companion ticket transfers and date changes are not automatic when one passenger has a medical emergency. Airlines treat each passenger’s ticket separately even on the same booking. The healthy passenger can typically only change their travel dates under the standard fare rules of their ticket, which may include change fees and fare differences. Some airlines offer goodwill exceptions but these are discretionary.
File a complaint through the U.S. Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection division at transportation.gov. Include your original booking confirmation, all written correspondence with the airline, medical documentation submitted, and the timeline of denial communications. The DOT will require the airline to respond formally to your complaint, which often produces resolution even when direct customer service has failed.
Your state attorney general’s consumer protection office handles complaints about deceptive business practices including airline refund denials. State consumer protection laws often require airlines to provide accurate guidance about refund requirements. If an airline refuses to specify what documentation is missing from your medical certificate, that pattern may violate state consumer protection statutes. File complaints both with the DOT and your state attorney general for maximum pressure.
How do you get an airline refund for a medical condition?
What is a prognosis on a medical certificate for airline refunds?
Why do airlines deny medical refunds without explanation?
How do you contact ITA Airways executive customer service?
Can companion tickets be transferred when one passenger has a medical emergency?
How do you file a U.S. Department of Transportation complaint against an airline?
What is your state attorney general’s role in airline refund disputes?
