UV light does not just create repairable dimers in DNA bases, it can and does rip DNA apart. Enough exposure would cause more than enough irreparable damage to kill the cell and 99% of the cell being destroyed is certainly not salvageable.
The Delta flight is cheaper. But check a bag at a cost of $25 for the first checked bag each way on Delta, and your total fare climbs to $256 -- more than the cost of the Southwest flight, which includes free first and second checked bags. Add a second checked bag for $35 each way on the Delta flight, and you'll pay a whopping $326.
Delta Airlines (DL) will charge $200.00 USD extra for bags that are from 63 to 115 linear inches or from 160 to 292 centimeters on U S domestic flights. Bags greater than 115 linear inches or 292 centimeters will not be accepted as checked baggage / hold luggage.