AIRCONDITIONING PROB LEADS TO A TRACK DEV.

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WE WERE IN CRUISE AT FL270 BTWN PXT AND DQO ON THE NANCI 5 ARR TO LGA. A TURN IS REQUIRED AT SWANN INTXN FROM PXT 019 DEG RADIAL TO DQO 053 DEG RADIAL. I WAS FLYING AND HAD PXT ON MY VOR. THE FO HAD DQO ON HER VOR. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO REQUEST A CHANGE OF THE AIRCONDITIONING TO A WARMER TEMP; WHICH THE FO STARTED TO ADJUST. THE FO WAS NEW TO THIS AIRPLANE AND WE DISCUSSED THE PROBS INVOLVED WITH THE PARTICULAR SYS AND THE DIFFICULTY OF MAINTAINING A COMFORTABLE CABIN TEMP. DURING THIS DISTR; WE FLEW PAST THE TURN POINT. APPROX 8-9 MI BEYOND THE TURN POINT; ATC CALLED AND GAVE US A R TURN BACK TOWARD COURSE. THE CTLR STATED THERE WAS NO PROB; BUT THAT WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER A RESTR AREA. THE OFT USED STATEMENT 'FLY THE ACFT FIRST' COMES TO MIND. THE FO HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN A 2ND OR 3RD GENERATION AUTOMATED GLASS COCKPIT. I HAD SPENT MANY YRS ON A FIRST GENERATION AUTOMATED COCKPIT; AND HAD BEEN BACK TO THIS VERY BASIC TYPE COCKPIT ABOUT 1 YR. I THINK THIS WAS AT LEAST PART OF THE PROB. OLD HABITS DIE HARD. WHEN CREWS SWITCH FROM HIGH LEVELS OF AUTOMATION TO LOWER LEVELS; IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A TENDENCY TO HAVE A RELAPSE; SO TO SPEAK. THIS IS MUCH MORE OF A PROB THAN THE INDUSTRY HAS REALIZED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B- 737 FOR A UNITED STATES ACR. HE WAS CALLED FOR A SPECIAL STUDY FOR WHICH HE DID NOT QUALIFY. THE ARTCC CTLR WAS NOT UPSET AND THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. CLOSER ATTN TO DETAIL AND BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.