A few thoughts here: you seem to have missed the point of the story. It's not whether the poles were insured or not, it's that they arrived at the beginning of a competition in unusable condition. The money part can always be sorted out later; being expected to compete without the required gear is the thrust of the story.

How do you know she bought a basic economy fare? What does it matter if she did? Are you suggesting we should expect to incur more or less damage to our property according to the fare we paid? If we hold an insurance policy, is it ok for airlines to be less careful with our stuff? And why should her insurance pay for the damage; isn't that what the carriers' insurance is for?

Your comment "I'm going to cry on social media" betrays an utter lack of empathy and a willingness to criticize without knowing any of the facts. Carry on with baseless Instagram/endorsement theories; you're convincing only yourself.