America’s Best Airports, Top Retirement Spots, Oahu Surf Experience And More

For anyone who has ever dreamed of packing up and starting a new life in Italy, now is the time to consider Sardinia. The stunning Mediterranean island recently began a new initiative that will pay people $15,000 to move there. And to show how serious they are, the government established a $45 million fund to subsidize 3,000 grants. If that amount is not enough, other regions in Italy are making similar offers: Calabria is giving a handful of new residents about $33,000 each and the village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio offered up to $52,500 in grants to move there and work. All of which should make la dolce vita even sweeter.

Airlines take most of the heat when it comes to complaints about travel, but choosing the right (or wrong) airport can seriously affect a getaway. J.D. Power recently released its 17th annual report on the best and worst airports in North America. The Airport Satisfaction Study looked at three categories—Mega, Large and Medium airports—based on six key elements: terminal facilities, check-in/baggage check, arrival/departure, baggage claim, security check and food/shopping. In the Mega category, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) was ranked No. 1 (with Newark’s EWR coming in last). Tampa International Airport (TPA) topped the Large airport list while Indianapolis International Airport (IND) was named the top Medium airport in America.

If Hawaii is the birthplace of modern surfing, then Oahu has long been its capital. Beginning February 2023, the Wai Kai lagoon at the Hoakalei Resort will provide the ultimate surf experience where guests can ride the largest deep-water standing wave. The 100-foot-wide wave will allow up to three surfers at a time, and an additional 30 can hang ten in the “barefoot zone.”

Want to know what perks celebrities and other elite customers get at hotels? The concierge holds the key—and perhaps an impossible-to-get dinner reservation. Forbes contributor Jordi Lippe-McGraw talked to Jessica Waddy at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown about what it’s like to be a VIP concierge.

Anyone who’s ever taken a vacation has likely thought at some point: Wouldn’t it be great to live here? To help with that decision, Forbes has identified the 25 best places to enjoy retirement based on seven leisure interests: arts/culture, fine dining, lifelong learning, volunteering, outdoor activities on water, outdoor activities on land, and a special subset, golf. This year’s choices span all four continental time zones and 16 states. Most are good for multiple passions, and one—Austin, Texas—delivers on all seven categories.

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