Holidays are back and we're here to help!
While travel was on hold we've upgraded our service to get you the help you need in lightning-quick time. We're back and faster than ever. Our team is ready to help in any way we can - the easiest way to reach us is by live chat (check our opening times). Or if something has gone wrong and you'd like to give us some feedback, get in touch with our dedicated customer team and we'll look into it for you.
We've worked hard on our flexibility and introduced FLEXTRAS - if you buy your holiday extras from Holiday Extras, you'll be getting the most flexible terms anywhere. We're also investing heavily in our app with a big focus on HEHA! - The Holiday Extras Holiday Assistant which makes it even easier and even faster to search, book and save.
You're welcome to email me about anything at all - ideas, suggestions and feedback. I read every email and will make sure your query is swiftly actioned with the right people. If needed I'll follow up in person too.
Thanks for choosing Holiday Extras. Wishing you safe and happy travels.
Oliver Ashford
Managing Director ParkIT
My journey so far
My HX journey began in 2007, joining the parking operations team as their first Project Manager. It was a whirlwind decade, growing with the business and moving through roles as Head of Tech, General Manager and then Director of Airparks in 2015.
Early in 2016 we identified a niche gap in the market - an eye blinking 3 months later we had taken the decision to create and invest in a sister company, leading to my current role as MD of ParkIT. We're moving fast, now assisting 30 sites across 23 airports to streamline their operations and improve the customer experience.
It's been great to have such a diverse senior team around me to bounce off and help me along the way; couple that with the collaborative and open culture embedded across the group and its not hard to see why so many of us have been with the business for so long.
Life before Holiday Extras
I just couldn't make my mind up - I needed variety and couldn't pin myself down! For starters, I've been tap dancing since I was 11, lecturing and teaching to supplement my student income and keep me going through my career indecision. This lead me to being offered (and very nearly accepting) a role with Stomp, however the stage life just wasn't for me, so I went in completely the opposite direction and did a short stint with KPMG in Canary Wharf as an expatriate tax adviser (talk about a pivot!). Following that, I trained as a Financial Advisor (Investments and Pensions) until making the move into the world of Parking and Holidays and never looking back.
Life outside Holiday Extras
Wow, its very busy at the mo! Myself and wife to be Patsy have two stunning and VERY energetic boys - Cooper & Quinn.
Weekends together are precious and whenever possible, involve mini adventure trips away - partially due to our house being a building site for the past year. We've become masters of multi tasking; we welcomed our second born in to the world, renovation began and so did the wedding planning all within 6 months… we never seem to do things by half.
I guess you could say life outside of this manic phase is theatre, trains (driven by the boys obsession with Thomas) family and a little bit of footy. Patsy is an ex pro dancer so is always taking me and the boys to some sort of theatre performance - not that I'm complaining as my nan used to take me as often as she could so it's been a part of our life from an early age. If there's any spare time over and above that, then our boys insist we build train tracks - not one to gloat, but our track game is strong! They will also be brought up to follow in my side of the family - supporting Blues (BCFC) and all of the life lessons that brings with it (mostly heartache)
Favourite places
Picking one just isn't an option - there's too much to see and experience:
Place to chill - Broadway village, Cotswolds
Place for nostalgia - Alghero, Sardinia
Place to party - Miami, Florida
Place to ski (and party) - Mayrhofen, Austria
Place for food - Rome, Italy
