Heraklion Airport

Worst airport I have ever used. Arrival not too bad except waiting ages for luggage to come through. Departures however are your worst nightmare. If there are several flights leaving at close intervals the airport becomes clogged. You have to queue outside. We were out there for over an hour. Luggage has to be checked in then taken off the scales and taken to a scanner. In Departures you will be lucky to get a seat. There is one cafe and that has people smoking at the end where you get your sugar etc. There is one monitor for flight info. It is so small that if ten people stand in front of it you can't read the information. Really dreadful airport it must be due for an upgrade soon and a big one at that.

Crete is a great destination but Heraklion airport is pretty worthless. Arrival was quite straightforward even though there was no info on which carousel our luggage would appear. Departure was horrible though: first of all two chaotic queues were formed in front of one check-in desk. After some minutes the checking-in was moved to other desks! As you can imagine this involved a lot of pushing - I do expect airport staff to manage such situations more efficiently. Staff worked very slow. We finally got our boarding card but after this everybody had to move their luggage to the one scanner that was working at the other side of the departures hall. Again chaotic queuing and pushing. After this another queue for the security check - the whole ordeal took more than an hour. Facilities in the departure lounge are extremely limited just one very small shop and 2 bars. We went through this airport in low season (April). I guess it will be complete hell during the summer months.

We must have passed through Heraklion airport at much the same time as your previous correspondent but our experience was much easier - perhaps things were quieter because of our late evening flights. We last used Heraklion 6 years ago and remembered little apart from the crowding - until we read the reference about the entertainment value of the bottom step from the duty free as we'd been entertained too! Obviously Heraklion has been redeveloped since then because there's much more space and no longer an irregular bottom step from the duty free. On arrival we too did have a long wait for our bags and I would agree that it was not easy to find which carousel was to be used. While I waited for the suitcase my wife went through to process our car rental pick-up and had it all sorted long before our bag came through. Leaving from Heraklion was far easier than departures we've had from other Greek airports. BA check-in opened early so that only took us about 10 minutes there was no queue at all for the separate baggage drop and there was plenty of seating in the pre-security departure area. We didn't even have to queue to go through security either time (more of that later!) though we're not sure how searching security actually was as the visible screen didn't seem to recive much attention. Lots of space in the departure lounge and much cleaning going on. We didn't try to buy anything as we tend to avoid airport food anyway so I can't comment on price or quality. The only problem that arose was when our flight was called - we were in the wrong depature lounge! We had to go back through security right through the check-in area through more security to find Gate 1 at the other end of the terminal building. We don't think we missed any signs or information but most other passengers for the flight seemed to be in the right place so we assume that it is something to do with "Schengen" which is a mystery to us who are more used to shorter journeys with low-cost airlines. By the time we reached the gate the buses to the plane were being loaded but we weren't the last by any means so perhaps we weren't the only ones in the wrong place. Otherwise the "new" Heraklion came as quite a pleasant surprise.... though we did miss the entertainment of that bottom step! Score: 4

This has to be one of the worst airports in Europe! On arrival passport control was very quick but that was the end of any efficiency. After a wait of about 15 mins the monitors (which are badly positioned) showed the carousel for my BA flight. However after another 15mins - still no baggage and it was only when another passenger went into the other baggage area did we find all baggage delvered on another belt. Departure was equally chaotic as check in staff took forever to get themselves organised. When you eventually check in you have to take your bags back and stand in another line for security checks. Heraklion always seems busy and it is difficult to know which line is for what check in desk or security point and there are no staff around to organise anything. As it was a BA flight to the UK the extra schengen gates are used - this was the only flight so that part was quick and the lounge comfortable because of low numbers. Buses to the aircraft again - for about 50 feet. Catering is poor with little choice - weak coffee and stale cheese pies!

I've passed through between 20 & 30 times now (always in summer) so I feel able to comment. Be prepared - arrivals are hot and sweaty you'll have a very short bus journey to the terminal and you should get through passport control fairly quickly. The luggage reclaim is something else! Information can be hard to come by but things do seem to be improving (unless several holiday flights arrive at the same time!). Departure involves long queues often starting outside the teminal efficient security checks and a packed hot and usually uncomfortable departure "lounge". Our flight was once a couple of hours late and we were offered complimentary soft drinks - either Coke or Fanta. I requested water - but that wasn't allowed! Toilets can be very clean or disgusting - blame the tourists. If the gents toilets are out of action - just use the ladies! But Crete is worth this minor inconvenience!

A really terrible airport. Visited in August 2006 perhaps the Schengen terminal was better but I doubt it. On arrival the baggage hall was chaos with poor signage and clearly no capacity for the number of flights arriving. It took over an hour from arrival in the baggage hall for us to leave with our bags and it was packed with nowhere to sit down and elbow room only at the carousels to see your bags. Even though most people seemed to be at the wrong carousel because of the poor information. The return flight was no better. If you were travelling independently there is almost no way you could work out which desk to check in at with huge snaking queues managed by the travel operators. There were no worthwhile facilities before the 'security check'. The friend I went with has metal pins in his body and triggers the metal scanner you walk through. The red light flashed and a bell rang but he was waved through without a search. This was just after the liquid bomb threat in the UK. When you got to the waiting area by the gates it was no better. The seating area was full with people even sitting on stairs. We waited upstairs near the duty free. The departure boards were not visible so when unbelievably our flight was called 45 minutes early you didn't know and were treated like a drunkard who had stayed too long in the bar (if there is one). Overall Crete is a great holiday destination but Iraklion Airport should be avoided if possible.

It may not be the most modern airport in the world but the staff are friendly and it allows us to get from A to B. Every time I visit I am glad they do not weigh the bags to charge ludicrous amounts for excess baggage which does happen at most other airports. I am extremely suprised to hear about personal belongings being stolen as the Cretan people are very honest however Mr Olden (above) did say his wife was silly to put an expensive item in the case. Personal items can be stolen from any airport including those in the UK! You may be please to hear that they are currently building another airport further to the South East coast although the road links will not be as good as we have now become accustomed to in Crete although I have no idea when it will be completed. It seems such a shame to moan about an airport which in reality we spend very little time in when we could be looking forward to/reminiscing about our holiday in beautify Crete.

I love Crete but hate Heraklion Airport. Departure lounge very small and very crowded. The steps from the duty free shop provide people sitting at the side with endless amounts of fun as each year I have been I never remember that the last step is deeper than the others. When we go back in September I am waiting until the last minute to go through to the gates and will stop on the otherside after check in and keep an eye on the departure board.

Flew in and out in the last week of July and the first week in August. My first impression was how small and confusing. You get on a bus from the plane to go 20m to some steps into the luggage hall. Waited no more than usual. Plenty of trolleys. Although after midnight has passport examined quite detailed. Outside was very confusing as you exit into the car park full of coaches. Going back to the UK was OK. Arrive early as all luggage is x-ray'd before checking in. We made a mistake and went in the intra-schengan lounge (gates 1-6) rather than the extra (gates 7+). This proved quite a find as it was very quite and the duty free shop was very empty. Only found out the mistake when they asked us to go to gate 10. The other lounge was very busy and noisy. Most staff we met at the airport spoke English. Not the best airport but better than Heathrow on a strike day!!

Been to Heraklion twice. Going to Crete again this year as I love it. Heraklion airport may not have the nice things we are used to in UK airports but even though it can be crowded etc I got on with it. Queuing outside in the sun beat waiting in a cold Newcastle departure lounge.