[chrisal]

Butch, champers in this respect means champagne and chums means friends. However, we do also use champers which means champion which in turn means brilliant or fantastic or top class etc. But in this instance it was just referencing the first class as a bunch of champagne quaffers, because let's face it, the working class slags in economy class can't even afford one of those midget cans of coke....and heaven forbid if one of those working class rif raf types were to wander into executive class!
Nice to hear that you've got some Geordie blood in you and your grandparents are from Windy Nook which isn't at all far from where I'm from, although God knows when I'll be getting back home!!!