A Delta Connections flight, operated by Pinnacle Airlines, was canceled out of upstate New York late this week. Big deal, you say, the Northeast was hit by (yet another) big snowstorm at the end of the week; lots of flights were canceled. Well, this is true, but weather wasn’t a factor in this particular instance.

Mechanical problems? Drunk pilot? A bomb threat? An unruly passenger? You’re getting warmer, but, no, none of these was the reason the Rochester-to-Atlanta flight was dropped. Instead, as the plane returned to its gate after a passenger suffered a panic attack, a “spat” apparently broke out between two female flight attendants. The pilot, in ”an abundance of caution,” according to a Pinnacle spokesman, made the decision to cancel the flight. The 75 passengers said they were told they had to get off the plane because the stewardesses were fighting (can you imagine hearing that announcement coming over the speakers?!), and they were found alternate travel arrangements.

We’ve all heard all kinds of stories, some of them quite bizarre, about altercations aboard planes that have led to flights being diverted, emergency landings and the like. This is the first I can recall where a fight between crew members led to this kind of action. The airline spokesman said this was a verbal, not a physical, argument; but apparently it was of such a scale that the pilot felt it was best to ground the flight. I really find that remarkable, as well as dismaying.

Of course, we don’t know (and probably never will) the whole story and its background. Perhaps the captain had flown with these attendants before, perhaps there was a history of unpleasantness between them, and perhaps he had had enough and felt drastic measures were necessary to put an end to it. (The two attendants have been removed from duty pending an internal investigation.) But doesn’t it bother you that two individuals who work in the service sector could not be professional enough to carry out their duties in a civilized manner? Their personal animosity and the captain’s means of handling it inconvenienced a great many people. Ironically, their behavior, in the pilot’s mind at least, was a threat to the safety of that flight — safety which it is their assigned duty to secure.

It leads me to ponder, as I have occasion to do too often these days, the increasing lack of public civility on display everywhere, from the U.S. Capitol to city council meetings, from the grocery store check-out line to . . . the airport. Sometimes it seems that people take their social cues from Jerry Springer instead of Emily Post. I know from reading the many letters to Global Traveler and blog comments here that our readers, many of whom travel the world and interact with a variety of cultures, practice and understand the value of courtesy and respect for others, even when others’ lifestyles or opinions don’t align with their own.

Maybe that’s the solution: Folks who have become too insular and self-centered need to get out and travel more. They need to mingle with their fellow human beings from all walks of life and practice the art of getting along with those different (and yet oh-so-alike, fundamentally) from themselves. That’s assuming, of course, that their flight to a new destination isn’t canceled due to dueling flight attendants.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I penned my letter from the publisher recently and took a bullish stance on the future of travel based on the return of the Emirates A380 to New York and OpenSkies‘ new service between Washington, D.C., and Paris.

Add to that the recent announcement that American Airlines will be increasing international flights from New York. This spring, AA will add three new destinations from JFK, including San Jose, Costa Rica; Madrid, Spain; and Manchester, England. The new flights to San Jose will begin April 6, while service to Madrid starts May 1, and flights to Manchester will begin May 13.

Jim Carter, American’s vice president in New York City, rightly stated: “New Yorkers are international travelers.” He is absolutely correct. Add the feeder markets around New York, which can stretch as far south as Philadelphia, and there is a huge potential market for AA.

Hopefully, this is another sign that travel will continue to pull the country, and the world, out of the global recession.

– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

According to a CNN.com poll, 75 percent of those surveyed think overweight passengers should be required to buy an extra airline seat. What do you think? The issue has been thrust to the forefront of the travel industry this week after director Kevin Smith was asked to disembark a Southwest Airlines flight for being too heavy. The airline cited safety concerns and the comfort of other passengers as the reason for the request.

Smith usually purchases two airline seats when flying Southwest. In this particular instance, he was flying standby and there was only one seat available on the flight. He was allowed to board, and as far as I can tell from the accounts I’ve read, he was seated with the armrest down and seatbelt fastened. It was at this moment he asked was to leave the flight. I can only imagine how embarrassing the situation was for all parties involved.

Southwest does have a policy for overweight passengers, requiring them to purchase two seats if they cannot sit in the seat with the armrests down. If the flight is not full, Southwest will reimburse the passenger for the second seat. Policies surrounding this topic differ from airline to airline.

Those opposed to these policies cite discrimination. Those in favor of the policies cite safety concerns and the comfort of other passengers. No matter which side of the debate you are on, there is no denying this is a touchy subject. And is there really a clear-cut answer to this problem? I searched the Internet and read various policies. All of them that I found state the armrest is the deciding factor. There was no weight limit given. Airline seats vary from airline to airline. A passenger might fit comfortably on one flight and not on another. Judging by past experience, they wouldn’t buy two seats. Awkwardness will ensue. There is no simple solution here.

The debate continues. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

I took a short trip down to the Outer Banks and am working from down here and unintentionally will be missing the snow. It is supposed to hit the Maryland - Virginia - Delmarva Peninsula region, my route from Philidelphia to Kitty Hawk, NC, and they are predicted to get between one to two feet by Saturday afternoon. The Philadelphia area is said to get about a foot.

My neighbors always laugh, as I seem to be making a flight to LA or Asia just as a pending winter storm is to hit. Dave Murphy, my neighbor across the street says, “Fran’s leaving? We are going to get hit hard!” — and it does seem to be the case. I can remember being on a US Airways flight from PHL when the captain announced, “Please be seated, as they are closing the airport in fifteen minutes, and I want us to be in the air by then.” He did it!

Down here, where the Wright brothers proved that man could fly a plane on its own power, we are just to get wind and rain. The winters can be harsh at times here, with sustained winds at 40 mph and torrential rains. I believe this is what we are to receive this weekend. It is always a thrill to watch the ocean here during a storm and how violent it can get. The coast here is known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, as many ships have sunk in the storms.

I intend to hit the road Sunday morning to return in time for the Super Bowl back home . . . that is, if the weather allows me to do so!

– Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

As Louie and I prepared for our annual January trip to New York for the GT awards event, the debate over luggage came up again. Do we check it or carry it on?

The question is more of convenience rather than cost. The $15 per bag charge wasn’t going to put a major dent into my 2010 budget. Still, it is always nice to avoid extra charges if possible.

The absolute worst-case scenario is to plan on carrying on my bag, only to be told as I am boarding that the overhead compartments are full and I need to check my bag. In that case, not only will I have to deal with luggage claim, but I will have to fill out the tags at the last minute. Plus, I could have used a bigger bag and just checked it at check-in. This has happened to me twice and is a major annoyance.

On the surface, it is easy to blame the passenger who brings on one bag (which is already questionably oversized), plus a personal bag (which is more like a gym duffel bag), plus a laptop case (which seems to be larger than laptops I have seen), plus possibly one more small bag for under-the-seat stowage. That’s four bags, by my count.

Don’t get me wrong, that person deserves some of your ire, but let’s put the blame where it belongs. The airlines need to enforce tougher standards for carry-on bags.

My longtime friend, Sky Torvis (former radio personality in Bisbee, Ariz.), once asked me why airlines don’t charge for carry-on bags. What a radical yet perfectly logical concept.

There should still be enforced limitations, but passengers should pay more for the convenience of carrying on a bag (or four). Wouldn’t that make more sense? At least I could get some satisfaction knowing that the luggage hog was coughing up some cash!

– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist