Heraklion airport VIP service and lounge

Food poor, seats uncomfortable. Staff can be rude. Positives are fast security and for those with airport assistance, can be a better place to rest before flight

First class service from meeting outside terminal building, check in & bag drop, lounge & passport control. Definitely felt like a VIP.

Complete chaos, no VIP check in, kept waiting outside airport for 15 minutes with no one doing anything. Asked for details several times, after further 15 minutes with no communication from TUI rep ushered inside to form a queue for check in. Stood another 15 minutes before being fed into normal check in line. No verbal communication at all as to what and where to go, them ushered through passport checks, arriving in lounge almost one hour after arriving at airport.

The ability to avoid the queues was excellent. The range of drinks provided in the lounge was excellent. The only letdown was the quality of snacks provided in the lounge.

I feel unfortunately there were too many people booked in to use the service. There was 1 person trying to support 18 people move through the check in process. He was pushing us in front of the other check in desks that were open where people had been waiting meaning us getting verbally abused and berated NOT at all a VIP service. Due to the time taken to get through check in and security we were in the lounge for 45 minutes although at the airport 2 hours before boarding!

The only good part was the guide through the airport.