Apparently, pretty dumb. It’s all part of the wonderful world of Marketing.
I receive scores of catalogs, information sheets and emails from multiple cruise and tour companies because Linda and I went on one river cruise 3 years ago. (Wonderful Christmas Market Cruise in Europe, BTW). We are included in the coveted demographic of “Known Travelers;” worth big bucks on purchased email marketing lists.
When you call the toll-free number of customer service the first thing they ask for is the catalog or flyer number so they know what offer has been extended. Was it the “Free Airfare” and cruise totaling $7,000.00 per person, or the “$500.00 off” if you book now, plus airfare bringing the total cost to $7,000.00 a person, or perhaps the free shipboard credit and miscellaneous discounts that bring the total cost to $7,000.00 per person.
I asked the agent if I could just get the free airfare without the cruise and they said sure, no problem. It was all mine…for the processing fee of $7,000.00