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Heraklion Airport (HER) Lounges: The Full Guide
HER has multiple lounges - the two-zone Filoxenia Lounge and Goldair Handling Lounge - mostly pay-at-the-door, some closed in winter.
Published August 31, 2026 · AI-assisted editorial
Yes - Heraklion Airport (HER) has more than one lounge: the Filoxenia Lounge (in both a Schengen and a non-Schengen location) and the separate Goldair Handling Lounge in the non-Schengen zone. Most work on a pay-at-the-door model, at least one closes for winter, and summer capacity gets tight fast.
For current hours, booking links, and what each lounge actually looks like, start with our Heraklion Airport lounge hub - this guide covers the details behind it.
The lounges at HER, one by one
Nikos Kazantzakis Airport splits its departures into two security zones - Schengen (mostly flights to other EU/Schengen countries) and non-Schengen (international departures, including the UK, since Brexit) - and the lounge situation follows that split rather than offering one central room everyone can reach.
Filoxenia Lounge - Intra-Schengen. Airside, after passport control, near Gate A1. This is the option if your flight is going to another Schengen country. It runs on the standard pay-at-the-door or membership model and has a posted maximum stay of around three hours per Priority Pass listing, after which you may be asked to leave if it is busy.
Filoxenia Lounge - Non-Schengen (also listed as "Extra Schengen"). Airside, after passport control and security, near Gate B11, on the international side. This location is seasonal - multiple sources list it as closed from around 1 November to 31 March, so if you are flying HER in winter, do not assume it will be open. It offers a simple selection of drinks, wi-fi, and TVs rather than a full food service.
Goldair Handling Lounge. First floor, in the non-Schengen area, operated by the ground-handling company Goldair rather than by an airline. This lounge has previously operated under the name "Evropi Lounge," so if you see that name on an older map or forum post, it is the same physical facility, rebranded. Like the Filoxenia non-Schengen room, it appears to run a reduced winter schedule, so check dates in the shoulder season.
Sky Express / Skyserv operated lounge. Sky Express, the Greek regional carrier with a large HER base, runs its own executive-style lounge in the Schengen departures area for parts of the year, generally tied to its own flight schedule. Some Sky Express fares or status tiers include entry; for everyone else it is a paid add-on, subject to availability on the day.
None of the HER lounges are set up as overnight rest areas - there are no showers and no dedicated sleeping zones in any of them. If you have an overnight connection or an early-morning departure, plan around the terminal's regular seating rather than counting on a lounge to bridge a long gap.
How to get in: comparing your access options
| Access method | Status at HER |
|---|---|
| Walk-in day pass | Available at each lounge on a pay-at-the-door basis when space allows; published prices vary by source and season (rough range in the mid-40s to mid-50s in euros per lounge), so treat any online figure as an estimate and confirm the exact rate when you book or arrive |
| Priority Pass | Accepted at the Filoxenia Lounge (both the Schengen and non-Schengen locations) and at the Goldair Handling Lounge; standard visit rules apply, and some membership tiers still carry a per-visit guest fee, so check your own plan |
| Airline elite status | Limited - Sky Express offers access to its own lounge for some fares or status levels; we could not confirm that Aegean Airlines or other carriers operate or sponsor a separate own-branded lounge at HER, so do not assume elite status alone gets you in elsewhere |
| Credit-card programmes | Some premium travel cards list Filoxenia Lounge (Non-Schengen) through their airport lounge collections, but access is typically "enrollment required" rather than automatic - register your card with the relevant programme before you travel and check that HER is actually included for your specific card product |
What catches travellers out
- Picking the wrong zone. Once you clear passport control into the Schengen or non-Schengen side, you cannot cross to the other lounge without leaving that zone. Match the lounge to your actual departure gate area, not just to "a lounge at HER."
- Winter closures. The non-Schengen Filoxenia Lounge and the Goldair Handling Lounge are reported closed for a stretch roughly spanning November to March. If you are flying in the shoulder season, confirm the lounge is actually open before you build your connection time around it.
- Peak-summer crowding. HER is one of Greece's busiest airports for leisure traffic in July and August, largely driven by charter and low-cost flights to and from northern Europe. Even a lounge you are entitled to enter can be at capacity; pre-booking where the operator allows it reduces the risk of being turned away.
- The three-hour stay limit. At least one Filoxenia location caps visits at around three hours. If your layover or security-to-boarding window runs longer than that, plan to either arrive later or accept you may need to leave and re-enter (paying again where applicable) rather than staying the whole time.
- Prices you see online are estimates, not quotes. Different booking platforms and aggregators list different euro and dollar figures for the same lounge, sometimes for different seasons or currencies. Do not lock in a specific number before you travel - confirm at the point of booking or at the lounge desk itself.
- A lounge pass is not the same as meet and greet. If you have arranged a meet and greet service for arrival or departure, that is a separate product from lounge access - one gets you a person waiting with a sign or assistance through the building, the other gets you a seat airside. Confirm what is actually included if you have booked a package that mentions both.
Frequently asked questions
Does Heraklion Airport have a business class lounge? It has several paid lounges rather than one flagship business-class room - the Filoxenia Lounge (Schengen and non-Schengen) and the Goldair Handling Lounge - and Sky Express runs its own lounge seasonally for some of its passengers.
Can I use Priority Pass at Heraklion Airport? Yes, at the Filoxenia Lounge (both locations) and the Goldair Handling Lounge, subject to the usual capacity and per-visit terms of your Priority Pass membership.
Is there a lounge on both sides of security at HER? Yes in the sense that there is a Filoxenia Lounge in the Schengen departures area and a separate one in the non-Schengen area - but you need to be in the matching zone to use each one, since you cannot cross between them once through passport control.
Are the Heraklion lounges open all year? Not all of them. Multiple sources report the non-Schengen Filoxenia Lounge and the Goldair Handling Lounge close for a winter period roughly from November to March. Always check current dates before flying outside peak season.
How much does a walk-in lounge pass cost at HER? Published prices vary by lounge and by the platform quoting them, generally landing in the mid-40s to mid-50s in euros per person. Treat any figure you see online as an estimate and confirm the exact price when you book or pay at the door.
Does my airline elite status get me into a Heraklion lounge for free? Only in limited cases - mainly Sky Express, which runs its own lounge tied to its schedule for some fares and status tiers. We could not verify blanket elite-status access for other major carriers at HER, so check with your airline before counting on it.
The bottom line
Heraklion Airport is not a one-lounge situation like some smaller Greek island airports - it has the two-sided Filoxenia Lounge plus the independently run Goldair Handling Lounge, and a seasonal option from Sky Express. The trade-off is that none of it is guaranteed: hours shift by season, at least two locations close over winter, and every source quotes slightly different prices. Confirm which security zone your flight departs from, check that your target lounge is open on your travel date, and treat any price you find online as a starting point rather than a final number. If you are still finalizing the rest of your Crete airport day - transfers, timing, or what else to sort out before you fly - our trip preparation guide and transfer search cover the rest of it, and the newsroom has more Crete airport coverage as we publish it.