Yep! That's one of the most common questions when traveling -- and it's one I always stumble over because depending on what the questioner intends by the question, correct answers can be 11, 22 or 33 hours. Allow me to explain:
First off, it's not one flight -- in fact, all current routing from Portland to Bali involves at least 2 stops -- so the questioner may be really asking "How long are your flights?" The answer is: about 22 hours total on 3 flights which are 11 hours, 8 hours and 3 hours, respectively. But it's also possible that the questioner may be really asking "How long will it take to get there?" Well, the correct answer to that question is: about 33 hours from the time I arrive at the Portland airport to the time I land in Denpasar (Bali's capital).
For inquiring minds, my stops/plane changes are in Tokyo and Singapore flying Delta except between Singapore and Denpasar where I fly Garuda Indonesia Airlines. I depart Saturday, October 3 - 12:55pm (Portland time) and arrive Monday, October 5 - 10:35am (Bali time) losing 15 hours of my life (it'll be Sunday, October 4 - 7:35pm in Portland).
As with all such trips, I've had my moments of wondering what the hell I was thinking when I booked this longest-ever trip for me to be outside of the USA -- and other moments of excited anticipation of the adventures that await. And the first part of the adventure will be 33 hours getting there! The second part of the adventure will be finding out what I've forgotten to pack in my well-used blue backpack and electronics-toting, beige shoulder bag - my only two pieces of luggage.
