ANA/United codeshare or Delta for flying to Japan?

So my dad and I are thinking about flying to Japan next summer, and we're unsure about what airline to take.

First of all, we live in the Huntsville, AL, area, but flying out of the Huntsville airport is expensive. Our two main options are to either fly out of Nashville on a United flight to Chicago and then connect to a nonstop ANA flight to Tokyo, or just take Delta nonstop to Tokyo from Atlanta. Which option would be better?

Why do most major Airline pilots need a degree?

I'm in a interesting situation. I'm getting out of the Marine Corps after 4 years. So I'm 23 years old. My goal is to become a airline pilot or a commercial pilot. I was looking into the process of reaching that goal. I found the ATP schools 2 years+ to get the necessary licenses to work for the air lines. So I thought cool I will just use my GI bill to go to this school. But then I find out to work for most major Airlines like delta and American airlines you need a bachelor's degree in literally anything. Even if it has nothing to do with flying or planes. So now I'm thinking about using my GI bill to get a criminal justice degree. But that's 4 year of college then 2 years at the ATP school I will be 29 before I even enter the work force. Is there any program or schools where I can get a bachelor and become a certified commercial pilot in less then 6 years? I could just do the 2 years+ and work at regional airlines but I hear they don't make good money. So i guess my second question is if i worked as a regional pilot for long enough would major airline look over the fact I wouldn't have a degree?

What's the longest nonstop airline flight you've traveled in?

Mine was about 10 hours, Hawaii to Colorado, the peanuts and coke they served as snacks were good, but they served a really funky egg for breakfast, this was 1990 and there wasn't those mini tvs at every seat, slept thru most of the flight cus it was a nighttime AM flight, so I never really had a chance to get bored