Hard product means the physical fittings of an aircraft or hotel, while soft product means the service, catering and staff experience.
Hard product means the physical fittings of an aircraft or hotel, while soft product means the service, catering and staff experience.
Also called: Hard product, Soft product.
How it works#
The distinction explains why two airlines selling the same cabin name are rated completely differently: seat, pitch and layout are measurable, service quality is not. For a booking decision the hard product is the more reliable half, because it can be checked via the aircraft type, while the soft product varies with crew and route.
Not to be confused with#
Hard product is not the same as cabin class: the class is the name being sold, the hard product is what is actually installed.
In German#
The German term is Hartes und weiches Produkt. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Cabin class: Cabin class is the physical section of an aircraft, economy, premium economy, business or first, each with its own seating and service.
- Room upgrade: A room upgrade is the allocation of a higher room category than the one booked, granted as an elite benefit and usually subject to availability.
- Hotel elite status: Hotel elite status is a tier in a hotel programme that holds out benefits such as room upgrades, breakfast or late checkout.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onStatus and lounges.