---
title: "What is Hard product and soft product? | Benefit Systems"
description: "Hard product means the physical fittings of an aircraft or hotel, while soft product means the service, catering and staff experience."
source: "aus dem gebauten HTML abgeleitet"
---
# What is Hard product and soft product?

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](/de/glossar/hartes-und-weiches-produkt)

## Related terms #

- [Cabin class](/en/glossary/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](/en/glossary/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](/en/glossary/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 #

- [What does “business class” actually mean?](/en/knowledge/what-business-class-means)
- [What is the difference between premium economy and economy?](/en/knowledge/premium-economy)
- [Does hotel status actually get you upgraded?](/en/knowledge/hotel-upgrades)