I think when it comes to Delta - the issue would be the equipment - whether the planes are older or newer on a particular route. I have found it easier to get international rewards on Delta - but have generally found the equipment to be somewhat inferior to the equipment on other carriers. Of course - I don't have current "as of today" information.

And I would very very much recommend Japan as a first trip to Asia. It is a totally first world country. Extremely clean (you can eat food at street festivals - you could probably eat food dropped on the streets too) - no street crime to speak of - people are polite and honest - and there is no tipping at all anywhere! Very compact country too. With its excellent train system - you can see a fair amount of the country on a reasonably short trip.

Two downsides. Unless you're a trooper when it comes to jet leg - the 12-13 hour time difference will drive you a little nuts (but that is true of all of Asia). So I would recommend a trip of at least 10 days (we were there for 3 weeks - and I never did get totally straight in terms of jet lag - but I am also totally terrible when it comes to jet lag). Second - you will find very little English spoken. So if I were planning to go to Japan - I would try to learn at least a little of the spoken language in advance (forget about the written language unless you have 3-5+ years) . I plan our international trips usually 9-12 months in advance - and my husband studied speaking Japanese using the Pimsleur tapes for almost a year before we went. He didn't learn a huge amount - but a little Japanese in Japan is a whole lot better than none.

If you are considering a trip to Japan - go to the Japan forum here. The people there are very knowledgeable and very helpful. FWIW - I am a garden type person - and we went during Cherry Blossom season. It was wonderful . Robyn