[2023] Cannot wing up with new player

My Girlfriend just wanted to pick up elite and join me, i have been playing for years and am just used to inviting someone in my private group to a wing with no issue, she is in a sidewinder and has left the starter systems and we are trying to wing up, she is in my private group , added as a friend and at the same location in game. However i press 2 (both PC players) , go to her name and invite to wing is blocked out in red, furthermore i cannot even see her in local contacts in super cruse.

When she tries the same , same thing. We have Wasted an entire evening on this issue and getting to the point where she may just refund the game because there is no point if we cannot play it together. I want to play games not do troubleshooting , how is matchmaking this difficult!