Qantas last week began selling tickets on flights to London via its new hub in Dubai after deciding it can begin basic work on its planned alliance with Emirates without interim approval from regulators. Under the proposed tie-up, Qantas and Emirates will co-operate on passenger and freight operations on routes to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and New Zealand. Qantas's position on the benefits of a tie-up stands in contrast to the warnings it was making about Middle Eastern airline Etihad a number of months ago. In June, its executives lobbied the government and the opposition over Etihad's push into Virgin Australia, warning Qantas could not compete with a rival backed by a bottomless pit of funds.