Originally Posted by
symphonicman
Ugh. Of course she had purchased BE. United really needs to issue guidance on this with the BE rollout—alongside the DOT policy to accommodate musical instruments in the cabin, both the musician's union and DOT recommend that musicians pay up for early boarding where possible to make sure that there is room for their carry-on instruments.
They have a BE FAQ at
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/con...onomy-faq.aspx
that includes this:
Q: What is the carry-on policy for musical instruments on a Basic Economy ticket?
A: In the case of customers who purchased a Basic Economy ticket, a small musical instrument may be carried on instead of a small personal item as long as the instrument can be stowed in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of the customer at the time of boarding. A larger musical instrument that does not fit in the overhead bin and is brought to the gate will be checked to your final destination and subject to the applicable checked baggage fees plus a $25 gate handling charge (payment by credit card only).
One of the articles mentions a suitcase. So she perhaps had more than one item.