Was Bezos just using him to sell tix to those who could afford?
Yeah a lot of people have said this... I'm in two minds about it personally and due to that have no issue.
It's clear that this is marketing, plain and simple... fine, marketing is expected and Shatner is a great drawcard.
On the other side of the coin, I believe Besoz really wanted to give this gift to Shatner, being a ST fan himself. It makes sense from that angle that Besoz didn't just do it for marketing only, but to provide an experience to someone he greatly respects. I think this was evident when he made personal contact with Shatner, took off his sunnies and looked into his eyes. I'm sure Besoz got a little emotional with him as they now had a shared experience.
So in general, I view it as a positive thing and don't mind the marketing really... as once it's affordable I'll definitely be buying a ticket!
The Aussie NASA engineer that went paid for his journey, but wouldn't disclose the amount. I doubt he would have laid down $1M+, so it must have been in the hundreds of thousands. Hopefully in 5 - 10 years the price will be more reasonable.
JSmith