No matter what way BA spin it, if you want a bag in the hold it will cost you more.
Your catering experiences are certainly not consistent with mine in Domestic/EuroTraveller.
Maybe I was a little unfair. I did get a small ham and croissant on CDG-LHR recently on the first flight out. NCL-LHR, mid morning was a packet of crisps.
On AF (which they would be competing with to and from CDG) it was a pain au chocolate for breakfast to CDG and then on to TXL it was a drink and a packaged savoury snack. Half a wrap on the return to CDG and then 2 bite sized macaroons on the connection to NCL.
You may have been given a full meal but that would have been on a longer flight, either that or your in club. If EJ were to have a premium class it would be the short flights in the region of an hour. And it is on these flights you get very little on the competition.
Unless you have status or a premium fare you can only check in for free on BA within 24 hours. Otherwise you run the risk of not getting seats together. If you want to guarantee seats together, you have to pay.
With the competition becoming ever more a la carte in terms of pricing, it's easy to see why U2 aw carrying more suits than ever before.