Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"Perhaps the counter agent, I don't think that a TA was actually involved"
I suspect that the OP used the abbreviation "TA" to refer to UA's ticket agent at the airport, not to a travel agent.