Trip Report: Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN (Taipei to Singapore)

Airline: Singapore Airlines | Aircraft: 787-10 | Class: Business | Flight: SQ877 (TPE-SIN)

When I took flight SQ877 back from Taipei to Singapore in March 2020, I did not know that it would be my last flight in a while. Shortly after my return, the Singapore government started introducing new measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus (including a ban on hotel stays for local residents). While my trip to Taipei was a lot shorter than I had initially planned (due to flight cancellations), I am really glad I decided to go ahead with it before a global lockdown started. 

Seating Area
Plaza Premium Lounge - Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

EVA Air operates four airport lounges in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) but if you are a Business Class passengers on Singapore Airlines, you will have access to The Infinity which is the 'best' lounge that EVA Air operates out of TPE. The Infinity is can only be accessed by Star Alliance First and Business Class passengers (or those traveling on Royal Laurel/ Premium Laurel/ Business Class with EVA Air) - those with Star Alliance Gold will have to visit The Star instead. While I have been to The Infinity previously, I was unable to review it as it was really crowded so I really thought I would be able to take some photos on this trip but unfortunately, it was closed during my visit and EVA Air was only operating The Star which was really unimpressive (I might share a couple of photos in a mini-review if I have some time) - I ended up spending most of my time in the Plaza Premium Lounge (free access using The Platinum Card from American Express) instead.

View from Seat 20D
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

Since I typically choose a window seat on all my flights (especially important on redeye flights since I can’t get to sleep if someone is sitting next to me), I decided to try out a different seat on this flight - I opted for Seat 20D which is in the last row of the Business Class cabin. As you would imagine, the flight was relatively empty and the seats around me were largely vacant.

Leg Well
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

I have done countless reviews of Singapore Airlines’ 787-10 Regional Business Class product so I will just go through a couple of notable features on the product (in case you are checking them out for the first time). The leg well of the Regional Business Class product is of a decent size and it does extend pretty far in - this is also where most people will stuff their bags (even though you should keep them empty technically) during take-off and landing. Some people may not know this but you are actually able to turn the light inside the footwell on and off using the touch-sensitive panel located in the console next to your seat (more on this later).

Cabin
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

As mentioned earlier, the Business Class cabin on my flight was relatively empty as international travel was already affected by the COVID-19 outbreak (even though control measures were limited at the time of departure). The 1-2-1 cabin layout in Business Class is fantastic (especially when you compare it to other regional products in the market) since every seat enjoys direct access to the aisle (no need to wake a neighbour up or attempt any Mission Impossible moves during the flight!).

Side Compartment
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

There are 36 Business Class seats on the 787-10 (spanning over nine rows) and they each offer 60" and 30" of seat pitch and seat width respectively. They are quite comfortable for a reasonably-long flight and there is ample space for you to store small personal belongings. There are also plenty of overhead compartments (even above the middle rows) so you should really only have what is important to you by your side - there is a small compartment located in the side console where you can easily keep important documents like your passport and your wallet with you.

Sliding Mirror
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

In between your seat and the side compartment is a small sliding mirror where you will be able to check yourself (or your neighbour) out during the flight. This is perfect for minor touchups that you wish to do during the flight but I typically use this mirror to check whether I have spilled red wine on myself.

Touch-sensitive Panel
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

The Regional Business Class seat reclines directly into a flatbed if required - there is no longer the need to get up in order to flip the seat over manually. The leftmost button on the touch-sensitive panel toggles the ambient light (which includes the flight at the end of the footwell) on and off. You can also easily switch off the TV if you wish to sleep during the flight by tapping the rightmost button.

Shoulder Strap
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

You should already know this but the Regional Business Class seats on Singapore Airlines come with a shoulder strap (on top of the seatbelt) which you will have to attach during take-off and landing.

IFE Controller
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

While the actual flight time from Taipei to Singapore is slightly under four hours, it leaves enough time for you to watch at least one movie and enjoy a few rounds of Champagne. I know a lot of people who find redeeming miles on short- and medium-haul flights “a waste” but honestly, with the right credit card strategy (by simply charging the right expenses to the right cards), you can easily earn 4 miles per dollar on your daily expenses. If you spend S$5,000 a month on average, you are looking at 200,000 to 240,000 miles each year which is rather decent.

Reading Light
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

If you are the type who enjoys reading on a flight, there is a small reading light located next to your seat - you can also use this to shine a light on the table if you are want a better photo of your food (seriously a mindless tip but you would be surprised at the number of people who do not realise this).

Smoked Salmon
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

I decided to stick with Champagne throughout the flight and my starter was a plate of smoked salmon with young romaine hearts, parmesan cheese and creamy anchovy-garlic dressing. One of the cabin crew also came around with a bread basket - I went with the garlic bread (obviously?!) as well as something else for me to eat the butter on the side.

Beef Tournedos on Red Wine Sauce (Book The Cook)
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

I really enjoy the food on Singapore Airlines in First and Business Class - depending on whether Book The Cook is available on that route, you can actually enjoy some really tasty dishes onboard the aircraft (and having free-flowing Champagne makes it that much better). On my flight from Taipei to Singapore in March 2020, I had the following options for my choice of main course from the inflight menu:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Chua (@theshutterwhale) on Apr 27, 2019 at 1:04am PDT

• Chicken Ballotine Stuffed with Mushrooms and Kale

• Barley, Red Quinoa, Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

• Oriental Jing Du Style Pork Ribs

On my trip back from Taipei last year, I enjoyed a really tasty bowl of Braised Beef Noodle Soup (which I shared on Instagram previously but will embed it into this post anyway so you do not have to look for it) but I really wanted to try something different this time. I went with the Beef Tournedos on Red Wine Sauce (also on the Book The Cook menu) and it was absolutely delicious - the beef was done beautifully (at least where meals on a plane are concerned) and I really enjoyed the dish. A lot of travellers avoid having beef dishes on flights (fish is always a safer option as it reheats better) but you can definitely roll the dice with Singapore Airlines if you are feeling lucky. On six out of ten occassions, I have managed to enjoy a decent beef dish on the flight and that’s a pretty good hit rate as far as I am concerned.

Selection of Cheese
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

For dessert, I had the option of having either the Häagen-Dazs Rum and Raisin Ice Cream or a selection of cheeses - since Boursin Garlic was one of the options, it was easy to know which one to go with. Obviously, you can choose to have both (I don’t think a cabin crew has ever denied a premium cabin passenger of this) but I have decided to save some of my calorie count for another glass of Champagne instead.

View from Seat 20D
Singapore Airlines Business Class SQ877 B787-10 - TPE to SIN

My flight from Taipei to Singapore was fantastic and I did not think that it would be my last flight before the lockdown started. While I do not write about my travel experiences for a living (I do have a day job in a management consultancy), I typically travel at least once or twice each month to a nearby destination (spending 2-3 nights in a nearby city over the weekend is extremely common for me). Some countries have started making plans to reopen but it seems highly unlikely that leisure travel would resume in months to come, at least for now.