Harriet Baskas Travel writer

During this inaugural year of the Well-Mannered Traveler column, we’ve covered a lot of territory: everything from traveling with pets (Remember the guy who smuggled a monkey onto an airplane under his hat?) to the proper decorum at a campsite (“In a lighted tent, be careful about inadvertently giving the campground an erotic shadow-puppet show.”)

We’ve generated numerous lists of dos and don’ts, put our heads together to develop an imaginary air passengers “Code of Cordiality” and tempted fate by picking apart a detailed Vatican-issued document outlining rules for the road (try to “charitably convince the young and not-so-young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.”)

Have all those lists and all this yakking about manners made the world a more courteous place to travel? For some, I hope the answer is yes. For the rest of the world? Well, let’s just say we have a lot of work ahead of us in 2008.

But before we close out 2007 and embark on a fresh, exciting year of travel, let’s take a moment to review some of the most commented-upon travel issues we’ve tackled so far.

Squeezed to meet you
“Is there a polite way to deal with an extra large passenger seated next to me [on an airplane]? ... I nearly cry every time I see that I am seated next to such a person.”

“As a fat flyer, I’m tired of glares, stares, and (in some cases) rude comments from others who are made uncomfortable by my size.”

Early in the year, these two reader comments sparked a pair of columns that attempted to cover the sensitive issue of “seatmates of size.” We explored some of the options open to travelers who don’t fit into airplane seats. And we examined strategies and solutions for travelers who find themselves seated next to someone who fills up more than one seat.

The Well-Mannered Traveler How to avoid the summer air travel blues Airlines cracking down on carry-ons Weighty issues for air travelers Beware the ‘dreaded year-end nose pickers’ Travelers have plenty to complain about With cell phones on planes, silence is golden In-flight cell service: Answer the call or not? Finding what you've lost at the airport Taking a road trip? Sign at the dotted line More columns

The   reader discussion continues almost a year later on msnbc.com's message boards, where the highly-emotional debate has at times spilled over into heated exchanges about discrimination, health care, airline policies and politics.

Dressed down for dressing down
Last summer, what to wear in the air became a hot topic after publicity-savvy Kyla Ebbert told the world (via the TODAY show and pretty much every media outlet) how goshdarn humiliated she was when a representative from Southwest Airlines pulled her aside to inform her that he found her short skirt and low-cut shirt too revealing and provocative for that day’s flight.

The incident led to a tongue-in-cheek apology from Southwest and (surprise!) a contract for a Playboy photo spread for Ms. Ebbert. The hullabaloo also sparked a more serious give-and-take about appropriate and inappropriate fashions for flying and debate about whether or not an airline has the right or responsibility to develop and enforce a dress code for passengers.

MORE FROM WELL-MANNERED TRAVELER

Commuters pull over, flock to buses, carpools

Commuters pull over, flock to buses, carpools How to avoid the summer air travel blues Airlines cracking down on carry-ons Weighty issues for air travelers Beware the ‘dreaded year-end nose pickers’ Don't let gas prices affect your summer plans Travelers have plenty to complain about With cell phones on planes, silence is golden Testing in-flight cell phone service In-flight cell service: Answer the call or not?   Add Well-Mannered Traveler headlines to your news reader: