Ain't that the first good news in 3 years?
Exactly
Even though seniority lists are joined with mainline - in reality, did anyone ever move from Connect to SAS? And how come they both accept applications now? Also, is mainline contract that much better than Connect or is it more about benefits?
It's the same CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) at SK and Connect. None has moved from Connect to SK purely because the result of the very first bidding window involving all three airlines has not been published yet. Seniroity is based on date of hire and all Connect crew are less senior than those in SK. Connect expanded while people at SK were laid off in the wake of Covid. Captains at Connect will stay Captains. Meanwhile there are FOs in SK with 20+ years in the RHS. Understandably it's a touchy subject.
As to why both accept applications the real question is; why are there even two airlines?