The departure from there was total chaos. There was a huge traffic jam at the check-in counters, because only the next flight was processed and the luggage belt sometimes no longer worked. We flew on Sunday, and with us hundreds, if not thousands, of other guests - the airport is simply not designed for such quantities.
WTF is that for an airport? WTF is that for a system ??! Queue up first to check in the luggage and then again to chase the suitcase through the X-ray machine ?? !! Here it is above all, because for inexplicable reasons the device is stopped again and again ?? I'm curious to see if my suitcase will make it into the right plane EARLY ... and then through security ...
Hall & general offer is hillbilly, but is still reasonably good .. Toilet also quite ok ...
Worst airport I have ever seen! Toilets are more than ugly (only 2 of 5 actually could used), very unfriendly staff, completely overcrowded (people were standing everywhere, seats were available for maybe 30%), no air conditioning, etc. Even if Crete is a very nice place to stay, I will think twice about coming back - the airport brought all the stress after relaxing holidays back - in two hours!
If I could give this airport zero stars I would. Baggage claim is an unmitigated nightmare that involves standing in a room with hundreds of your close friends waiting hours for your luggage. At least if you re going to make me wait this long for my bags you could have a man with a hot dog stand to serve the patrons.
In view of the previous reviews I was expecting the worst ... small and not very clean airport but overall it was. We quickly checked our suitcase so we could easily get through the customs and we easily found the boarding gate, (plan at least 3hrs before departure to be in the 1st) billboards understandable this is translated to english. Staff rather nice and informs properly.
Crimea and I am Cretan. The worst airport, although the most central in Crete. Very dirty, unargy, poorly maintained, incredible waiting queues. There is not even a sense of service.
One of the most disreputable and ill-fated airports in the world. Only go to the bathroom if really necessary. Worthy of a good old rad well filthy.
We flew to Stgt yesterday at 15:30. Toilet was ok. Covered awakenings overpriced. Check in a bit disorganized. Good, however, I found that with 3 people 3 pieces of luggage are weighed together.
I love the comments about the airport, as if this is a place you would spend hours for reaching long distance flights. The only reason to come to this airport is to leave it for the great island of Crete. Oh and toilets are also places to not rest for long. All you looking for is relief.
An airport under scrutiny. They are supposed to make it announced today when it is announced that a new one will be made. The toilets are shameless and have no paper to clean. I traveled winter. I do not want to think it will be in the summer. We are always talking about Venizelos' second-in-the-airport airport.
The unbelievable phenomenon with the suitcases throws them out of meters and cracks into the ground unacceptable!
This airport is one big tragedy! Checking in the baggage + security check + boarding took us 1h55min! 18 queues for everything! The first kilometer queue begins with attention ... baggage gluing and unfortunately we do not leave suitcases here, only we go with them to the next queue where we only give our luggage, then we go to the next 2 km queue for security control, and later we have a queue at stairs to the bus, which transports from the terminal to the plane.
Toilet? Drama! one big crap and poverty. Toilets without boards, with a broken door closure and all dirty ... As you land later at the Warsaw airport, you feel like you moved from 1910 to 2018 ...
Outstanding. Disabled assistance puts many international airports to shame!
Airport nightmare. Not only is the terrible organization, crowds of people and dirt, the air-conditioning grilles on the walls plastered with black hideous coating.
The effect? and I and more asthmatic patients were caught for inhalation drugs, and after returning to Poland I do nebulization and I don't know if it will end in the hospital.
Don't they have cleanliness in this Greece? Avoid the airport in Heraklion, because it is dangerous to health.
No problems at all when entering Greece.
Everything went great from Hanover to Crete.
NO STAR FOR THIS AIRPORT
SUPERB HOLIDAYS AND RETURN TO "CLEAR" MODE
no explanation - crowded airport - you must register your baggage hostesses are worse than soldiers, do it yourself ....
when passing boarding baggage at the hands pay attention, security DISCARD your stuff, they push you, my son 14 years old got his finger returned he was torn off his banana he did not have time to take it off himself we are push like cattle, the staff is unpleasant, no more smile while the majority of the inhabitants are welcoming; if you have PCs go out in advance because it throw your pc in the boxes ...
your suitcases are discarded result you found them demolished on arrival.
the best place in Crete is the CHANIA area.
in a nutshell the airport 'HERAKLION is a tourist factory: real barbarians
NO STAR FOR THIS AIRPORT
SUPERB HOLIDAYS AND RETURN TO "CLEAR" MODE
no explanation - crowded airport - you must register your baggage hostesses are worse than soldiers, do it yourself ....
when passing boarding baggage at the hands pay attention, security DISCARD your stuff, they push you, my 14 years old got his finger returned he was torn off his banana he did not have time to take the staff is unpleasant, no more smile while the majority of the inhabitants are welcoming; if you have PCs in your box
your suitcases are discarded result you found them demolished on arrival.
the best place in Crete is the CHANIA area.
in a nutshell airport 'HERAKLION is a tourist factory: real barbarians
SUPERB HOLIDAYS " "
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This airport is a punishment for travelers. Completely overwhelmed and too small.
The clearance is an absolute disaster !!!! The check-in counter opened an hour ago and we have moved 2 meters since then ... but what do you want to do?
Very dirty toilets. Had to 2ait very long till our baggage came
Many negative comments! Wonder why?
I personally can not fault the arrivals and how helpful the staff were.
I can not fault the departure either because there was not alot of waiting around and everything went smoothly.
Before I forget they had 2 stands there beside the duty free exit where you are able to charge your phone!
Is also had every power socket you could could possibly imagine.
Best thing was it was free to charge and no money was needed!
Durty Airport, very bad services. Very ease to improbe a lot of thinks.
Tlw chaotic settlement. Toilets dirty. Minimum distance hardly observable.
Dirty airport with big delays without any info. Worst airport ever been
The most terrible airport i have ever been to. Very very dirty, no hygiene, ugliest toilets, almost no air conditioning, food is terrible and is way too expensive even for an airport. Lots of homeless animals walking inside and outside of an airport! That place was the last impression of the Crete for us and it was really really bad!
Clutter and a complete lack of organization. Departure times given above check-in desks are not real. You have to carry your luggage yourself. It can be difficult for not polished.
Very old airport. Given the number of passengers this airport must process (especially in summer) an upgrade is required urgently. The only modern part nowadays is the new tax-free shop.
Poorest airport I've ever been to, unacceptable minimum service level, not suitable for medium traffic, badly maintained, even the new part dating back to 2018 seems in some respects dated and poorly preserved. Almost non-existent places to eat, and after 8.00 pm almost all close, the only alternative to sandwiches. I believe that the beautiful Crete deserves an at least dignified international airport !!!
Our entry was well mannered and organized despite Corona. With the PTL code we were waved through without a test.
Very modest, does not meet the needs of the island.
Bad airport services.
After check-in, we stayed 45 minutes camped on the stairs waiting for the bus to take us to the aircraft.
To be ashamed
Disastrous airport
I was there in 2011 - but since then I have heard reports that confirm my views from that time. The airport is totally chaotic, we were sent from counter to counter again and again, the baggage claim and the check-in take place separately, so that you have to move between the disorganized crowds even more and stand in huge lines and again and again missed his flight in the end. I will guarantee - if it is not necessary for survival - not to fly again.
They do not embrace. They deleted the passenger list and had to re-enter. Later blocked. A total of 45 minutes delay due to their fault.
It is not without reason that Heraklion reigns at the top of the rankings for the worst airport in Europe. Disorganization, dirt ... in one word, the massacre ...
That's really strange that this is the main airport of Crete. Old-styled, sloppy and uncomfortable.
Only 1 star because zero can not be given.
It is not an airport but a huge casino. Baths that I miss in Calcutta, scarce indications and huge mess. Dirty everywhere. To be an international stopover it could be a little more cared for.
Chaotic! Gates do not change some of the destinations on the boards. No information for any inquiries. There are hardly any toilets for far too many passengers. Not modernized for years!
Have a catheter fitted or invest in a good set of Wellington boots, that's all I'll say on the matter.
All flights delayed, no Wi-Fi in the waiting halls.
Information displayed unreliable.
Terrible airport. No climate, too few seats, dirty, broken toilets. The suitcase handling for all flights was divided into only 2 counters, total chaos and crowds. With a lot of physical effort, it was our turn ...
Is clearly and simply structured. Toilets leave a lot to be desired as well as the rest of the building looks quite dilapidated.
Ensure you arrive 1.5 hrs ahead your flight in the morning (at least).Small amount of counters proceeding compared to amount of people. We waited 45 min to drop off our luggage. Now we are staying in another endless queue for security check. The departure area is not organized.
Info is announced only in local language
A smaller airport, which is noticeable. Everywhere you see crowds and you do not have much space or seating. Of course, depending on the time of day. The airport is quite old and should get a renovation. But to be fair, I have to say that everything works more or less well and is organized.
Everything well, quickly sorted. Nice check in. Good shopping. Not as crowded at the moment as last year.
The worst and filthiest airport I've ever been! The toilets are disgusting and without any papers. The floor is dirty. The air conditioning is terrible. Everything seems to be unprofessional.
Insufficient seats (departure)
Hygiene on the toilets insufficient (arrival / departure)
Arrival went quickly with the suitcases from the plane
directly get the connection to the hotel transfer
Toilets are broken and dirty. No toilet seat is just really bad. Overpriced food and drinks!!! You have to take the bus always to the aircraft is just annoying. Plus the WiFi doesn t work at all!!
Although very small for the traffic in the summer months (second after El. Venizelos) everything works clockwise, big BRAVO to the workers who try hard.
We remember the check-in and punctual departure well, and it was the middle of the season because July.
And that rudeness from Great Britain and Warsaw cannot behave is another matter.
An unbelievably bad organization, which leads to the fact that you miss your flight despite 2 hours in advance at the airport. The "queues" or the mass turmoil (in times of Corona) were unreasonable.
Terrible, the faster you get there the better, the country is a dream, the airport is impossible, no disinfectants anywhere but everyone wears a mask ....
Priority check in worked well. Distance because of corona is not maintained here. cleanliness is ok. Toilets are a disaster. extremely dirty.
Dirty, the smell of cigarettes around the perimeter, prices are higher than in Borispol
very bad signage lack of communication poorly organized damage
Huge queues for luggage drop off. Check in opens only 2 hours before flight and there are almost no seats (about 10 for the whole airport) to wait for check in open.
Business lounge is extremely small. We had to wait outside to have a chance to enter it
Prices for olive oil and olives and sweets in the airport duty free are higher vs prices in the seaside. Worth buying it in advance
The airport is extremely old, crowded, stuffy and dirty. The toilets are an impertinence for Europe and it is very uncoordinated.
On arrival everything went well, we got our luggage fairly quickly and could make our way to the hotel.
The departure back to Germany was a completely different matter.
Unfortunately, I have to say that the conditions are inhumane! The airport is very small, unfortunately very dirty and there is not enough space for all the people. The toilets are dirty, run over and maybe 3 out of 10 cabins can be closed ie. be used. When we were through the controls and waiting for the boarding we actually thought that can not be true. Unbelievably many people, too few seats, bad air and you almost got claustrophobia. Our daughter (1 1/2 years) was there and I was just scared for her. We stood human to human, a pure crowd ..
On the positive side, the staff spoke fluent English to the local language!
Check in with security control, everything within 14 minutes. Luggage does not have to be handed over again separately as some people write here. It was also very cool in the departure lounge, my girlfriend even wore long pants and sweaters. The toilets are in the arrival really bad yes that's right. But on departure it is better.
Oh, there were at 8 o'clock in the morning. Departure at 1120. Either it is time or many Germans are too spoiled.
I come very often in heraklion since I have relatives here but I've only used the airport like 5 times and let me tell you , it's a disgrace to the world. It is tiny , poorly designed and no one is bothering to fix it. I was told by the employees that the air-conditioning hadn't been working for 3 freaking weeks and probably won't be fixed for many more , the whole facility itself is horrible and its just too small to even be able to manage all the thousands of people using it. As a Greek myself, I feel so embarrassed that this the first and last thing tourists get to see and are forced to endure the horrible queues and inconvenience. It's just sad.
We had VIP check in. It couldn't be better. If you want to save yourself the stress, you should spend the money ( 40 per person).
I would like to give -3 stars but unfortunately that is not possible. Since we had enough time and opportunity to get to know the airport (our flight was very late). The check-in was done at a counter and was relatively quick.
The entrance area is dirty, noisy, small and the benches are completely uncomfortable. I didn't dare to go into the men's room because it was clearly smell 2-3 steps beforehand.
The prices for coffee are a total rip off. Staff in the cafeteria were also very unfriendly.
What a shame for the wonderful and partly paradisiacal island. I think there is only one solution here: demolish and rebuild.
Very poor airport with several hours of queue and ugly building
You should bring a lot of time with you on departure: a queue for the check-in, a queue for weighing the luggage and a queue to finally be able to drop off your luggage! In addition, there is poor ventilation and a completely crowded departure hall ...
Most crappy airport in Europe I know.
No Air conditioning, weird organization, incredibly unfriendly and incompetent staff
Worse still, a visitor to the island could see for the first time. A touch in all its splendor.
Small and compact airport with friendly staff.
Unfortunately, there is not a single cafe or snack in which you can sit down. The toilets are worn, broken and dirty. Except for the duty-free shop everything was getting very old.
Check-in, security and boarding went smoothly.
A really lousy experience. Luggage conveyors do not work; Anyway, too small a field for this amount of customer.
It is a bit the mess everywhere. Information signs are not clear.
I agree with the below reviewer this is the worst airport I have ever travelled into or out off, in this day and age where else do you queue for an 1hr 30mins to check in, have your bags weighed and then have to queue again for an 1hr to have your bags X-ray d? Shockingly small, fly invested airport
Good suprise the new renovation.
It was time
Small with minimum facilities and no lounge for business and gold passengers for Star Alliance
Relatively small airport with everything you need. So far I've always been satisfied.
Unfortunately miserable settlement on arrival, three arriving machines assigned to a luggage belt, pure chaos, as everything stood ready, the assignment was changed what only half of the passengers noticed, thus chaos and racing again. Not experienced anywhere else in the world. Was something new.
Very unorganised. Basic chaos at all of the gates. Some staff were helpful, like the Police at border control. It's a shame the rude, self obsessed bimbos that boarded us were present. Disgusting customer service. I hope when/if you travel to the UK you see how it should be done. Mongrols..
Horrible airport. So much dirt and so many flies even it's cold because of the airconditioning. Pity the Isle of crete is so beautiful, crete citizen deserves better managers.
I have never seen such non organized airport.
Small, dirty, ceowded and unpleasant.
We read the horrible reviews of this airport but didn't encounter any problems personally...
Nasty place, chaotic. Especially with the stress that flying entails, that tent doesn't help. Unfriendly staff. What a kutent
It probably can not be worse .... trgedia and chaos is not enough to describe what's going on there every day ... it's amazing that this is happening at the airport in a civilized country that boasts an amazing history .... and best of all they have it in d ... e, because they know that we will come there anyway ... sad
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