The British Airports Authority (BAA) has accused the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) of trying to "murder" a key part of its business.

BAA is moaning about SRA plans to stop the non-stop rail link between Gatwick Airport and central London being, well, non-stop. Apparently, it is such a well-run and efficient line that the managers at the SRA want it to start stopping, so to speak, to pick up some of the south east's long-suffering commuters along the way and drop them at dormitory towns such as East Croydon.

Forgive the cynicism, but I reckon that BAA sees a potent threat to a lucrative revenue stream. This has nothing to do with concerns for the customer.

Naturally, BAA has raised images of passengers struggling with heavy luggage, fighting it out with battle-hardened commuters for seats. Which, to be honest, is a bit rich coming from the agency that brings us third-world standards of comfort at Heathrow and one or two other UK airports I could mention.

Nowhere at any of the establishments that BAA is responsible for is there evidence of the caring attitude for the customer that they have suddenly discovered for travellers on the Victoria-Gatwick line.

Another BAA-owned rail link is the Heathrow Express. When it works, this is a marvellous service, at least as far as it goes - which is Paddington, the middle of nowhere for those of us trying to get to the City. The Heathrow Express is always crowded and is expensive: around four times the cost of an equivalent tube ticket, but cheaper and infinitely faster than a taxi. I imagine that it is a huge cash cow for BAA, costing passengers, on my rough calculations, about 50p per kilometre. At a guess, I would say that this is the most expensive train ride in the UK, if the not the world. But compared to the alternatives, well worth the price.

BAA must have noticed the cash-generating potential of getting people to and from the airport. A few years ago, it teamed up with National Express, which most people think is a bus company, and suggested that the Stansted Express franchise be transferred to its new joint venture. I'm not sure whether the joint venture got the deal it wanted but it is interesting to note that National Express now controls the Stansted Express.

All three "express" rail routes connecting London with its main airports are exercises in customer rip-off. For Stansted and Gatwick there are no realistic alternatives, so the train operators have a virtual monopoly. BAA can claim that the tube is a competitor on the Heathrow run, but only students and people on community release programmes venture onto the underground these days.

Pricing can be a mystery. It costs a lot more to buy a ticket on the Heathrow Express train than from a ticket machine on the platform. Ryanair have two prices for a Stansted Express ticket - buy from the desk in Dublin Airport, not on the plane, it's much cheaper.

The worst travel experience is, without a doubt, the Stansted Express. At peak times, there is every chance you will have to stand for the entire 45-minute journey (often for a lot longer than that, with delays common). Journeys advertised as non-stop always, without exception, stop at Tottenham Hale. Space for luggage is limited and seating, when it can be found, is only marginally more comfortable than standing. Liverpool Street station, the London terminus for Stansted, is a complete nightmare, where the battle with war-weary commuters can be a ferocious one.

The battle over the Gatwick Express will be interesting to watch. Whether commuting to work or travelling to the airport, the experience is almost always squalid and slightly degrading. The SRA clearly wants to degrade things further for embattled commuters and tourists alike.

When travelling on the British public transport system, it is easy to see why this country has a reputation for tolerance and stoicism. These people will put up with anything. It really is true: the British don't complain. Shoddy standards of service, particularly from the public sector, have become the accepted norm. Sooner or later, surely, the idea that standards of provision have to rise, before an extra penny of taxpayers' money is spent, will become popular.