My friend also flew with Monarch recently to Dalaman - not sure about extra luggage allowance but she was surprised to receive an inflight meal which she had declined to pay extra for when booking. I can understand why you are annoyed as you paid to have an "extra" when it seems it was standard for everyone!

Generally with charter airlines, if you buy a holiday/flight through another tour operator than their "own" eg- Thomson's and fly with Thomson Airways or Cosmos and fly with Monarch, you will recieve a meal. This is because it is too complicated(even in this modern day and age) for two/three computer systems to talk with each other about meal options.

They never used to charge in these circumstances and just take the "hit" themselves or sneak it into the holiday cost as in years gone by but in price sensitive climate they can no longer do this so they now offer the option to buy a meal to try and claw back some of the money they have to part with for your meal.

I have recently returned from a holiday to Corfu,flying with Monarch,but it was a package holiday booked through Olympic. We too,chose not to pay for meals,but paid for the extra 5kg luggage(£7-98 for the 2 of us!! Bargain!!)

We were offered a meal on the way out,explained we hadn't paid,but were told we could have one!! Have to say the meal was lovely too!! Same happened on the way back also!! I did feel a bit sorry for the people who had payed though!!

As a contrast .... we recently flew Thomson flight only to Rhodes and hadn't paid for meals; not only did we not get meals but there was a degree of confusion about who had and hadn't paid resulting in some upset passengers getting no meals when they claimed they had paid!!!
Part of the problem arises due to lack of time from the "obsession" with getting the cabin crew around as often as possible pushing "gifts", drinks etc.Really don't need it esp on an early morning flight out!!!

On TC I never pay for meals and always recieve one and with lugggage never pay for more but only recieve the extra sometimes. I think it is their computer systems or cabin crew just trying to get through it fast