‘The Amazing Race’ Season 39: What Is the New Express Pass Twist?

Alyssa Norwin September 30, 2026, 1:29 pm

The Amazing Race returns for Season 39 on September 30, with 13 new pairs of contestants taking off on a race around the world for a prize of $1 million. After 25 years on the air, the show is always coming up with ways to keep things fresh, and this season, a new twist will be introduced for the Express Pass.

The Express Pass was introduced on Season 17 of The Amazing Race, but will be a whole new beast with the new Season 39 twist. Scroll down for more about what to expect and to find out which past advantage is also returning this year.

What is the Express Pass twist in The Amazing Race Season 39?

In Season 39, every team in the race will get to start with an Express Pass.

“I think the strategy part of the race is hugely important,” Phil Keoghan told Parade. “It’s important as far as why fans tune in. They want to see how we choose to use advantages that we get, the choices that we make, how we tackle different challenges. ‘Are we going to align with this team?’ Fans love that stuff.”

Previously, teams could only get an Express Pass by winning the first leg of the race, receiving one from another team if that team won two Express Passes during the first leg, or by completing an optional task during an early leg of the race.

CBS

The new twist allows every single team to begin the race with an Express Pass, which also means they’ll all be in danger of possibly not using it before they’re eliminated.

How does the Express Pass work on The Amazing Race Season 39?

The Express Pass allows a team to skip a Detour, Roadblock, or general task during the race. Only one team can use their Express Pass on a given task on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Teams will have to decide if they want to “use it right out of the gate to ensure that [they] get at least out of the gate” or if they want to “try to hold on to it, confident that [they] can survive the early legs, and then [they] have this thing to play when [they] might get into trouble,” Keoghan told TV Line.

When does the Express Pass expire on The Amazing Race Season 39?

The Express Passes are only in play until Leg 6. However, there are multiple different tasks on each leg, so more than one can be used on a particular leg if different teams choose to use it on different tasks.

The Amazing Race, Season 39, Episode 2, Thursday, October 1, 9:30/8:30c, CBS