Agree. I'd like to feel sorry for her, but... oh well, I can't...

She was "trapped" because of her own poor research and decision making. I'm fairly certain that Orbitz disclosed that additional fees might be charged by the airline when she booked the ticket - even if it didn't specify what those fees might be. I certainly noted that statement on Expedia's site months ago when booking tickets on US.

I'm also quite certain she could've found a way to ditch one bag if she really wanted to make the flight.