- The Amazing Race Season 39 express pass twist gave every team an Express Pass from the start.
- Strategic timing: Weak teams can leapfrog stronger rivals, but burning it early leaves nothing for later.
- Phil Keoghan confirms: The twist removed predictability and shook up leg-by-leg outcomes.
- Best play: Hold the pass until you genuinely need it, ideally deep in a leg you could lose.
- Season 39 context: New destinations like Albania and a Vancouver start line pair with the twist.
What Is the Season 39 Express Pass Twist?
For the first time, The Amazing Race Season 39 express pass twist handed every single team an Express Pass at the starting line rather than making teams earn one through winning an early leg. Host Phil Keoghan explained the reasoning: veteran teams arrive knowing how the race dynamic works, and giving everyone this power weapon from leg one deliberately disrupted that predictability.
An Express Pass lets a team skip all remaining tasks in a leg and go straight to the Pit Stop. When only one or two teams hold one, it is a safety net. When all thirteen teams hold one, it becomes a game of timing, bluffing, and risk management.
Video Highlights:
- Phil Keoghan breaks down how the all-team Express Pass changed leg outcomes
- Why weaker teams holding the pass late can eliminate stronger racers
- The twist's effect on strategy and the Season 40 conversation
Keoghan noted that mid-pack and weaker teams used the pass to jump ahead, ending the old pattern of the strongest teams always winning early legs. That single change made the first third of Season 39 far less predictable than previous editions.
How the Twist Changed Race Strategy
The Express Pass fundamentally rewrote the decision-making calculus for every team on Season 39. Keoghan was direct about the consequences: weaker teams that use the pass early "really don't have anything to play later on down the line," and ultimately get eliminated if they play it wrong.
| Team Position | Traditional Play | Season 39 Express Pass Play | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front-runner | Win legs, bank confidence | Save pass as insurance, rarely needed | Low |
| Mid-pack | Grind tasks, avoid elimination | Hold pass for a bad leg, strike late | Medium |
| Back-marker | Hope for others' mistakes | Leapfrog stronger teams with well-timed pass | High |
| Struggler on leg one | Likely early exit | Can survive leg one with immediate use | Medium |
Spending the Express Pass in the first few legs feels safe, but it removes your only lifeline for the rest of the race. Keoghan confirmed that weaker teams who burned it early tended to be eliminated later, while those who held it and caught a lucky break changed the entire endgame order.
Early Use (Legs 1-3)
- Pros: Survive a disastrous start, build momentum
- Cons: No safety net for the remaining legs
- Best for: Teams in genuine leg-one danger
Mid-Race Use (Legs 4-7)
- Pros: Escape a bad Detour day, conserve energy
- Cons: Stronger rivals still hold their passes
- Best for: Mid-pack teams hitting a weakness
Late Use (Legs 8+)
- Pros: Maximum leverage when eliminations matter most
- Cons: Risk of being eliminated before you use it
- Best for: Confident teams playing the long game
Step-by-Step: Playing the Express Pass Right
Assess Your Team Honestly
Before leg one even begins, evaluate your task strengths and weaknesses. Keoghan emphasized that self-aware teams made the best pass decisions in Season 39.
Track the Field
Watch which teams are struggling and who has already used their pass. A pass is worth more when several rivals have burned theirs.
Set a Trigger Condition
Decide in advance: if you fall to last place on a specific task type (physical, puzzle, food), that is your activation point.
Do Not Panic in Early Legs
Unless you are facing literal elimination on leg one or two, resist the urge. Early legs have wider time gaps and more recovery opportunities.
Deploy for Maximum Jump
Use the pass when skipping tasks moves you past multiple teams at once, not just to escape last place by seconds.
Luck is the residue of design. Keoghan described Season 39 as a season where the planets aligned: a strong cast, new countries, and the Express Pass twist producing genuine surprises. Teams that paired preparation with patience got the most from their pass.
Season 39 Context: Cast, Destinations, and the Live U-Turn Vote
The Express Pass twist did not operate in a vacuum. Season 39 also featured a notably strong female cast, including professional athletes, an Olympic bobsledder, a mother-daughter team, and a teacher-forensic scientist duo.
| Season 39 Feature | Details | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Start line | Vancouver, Canada (first time) | Fresh opening city, scenic mountain-ocean backdrop |
| New country | Albania (Race debut) | Cold War bunker challenges, ~150,000 bunkers nationwide |
| Milestone | 99 countries visited, 1 million+ miles traveled | Season 40 will hit country 100 |
| Live Double U-Turn vote | Teams gathered together to vote | More team interaction, a direction Keoghan wants to expand |
| Returning country | Laos | Fan-favorite destination revisited |
Albania gave producers a first pass at entirely new challenge material, including bunker sites converted into cafes and museums. New countries keep the show fresh because, as Keoghan puts it, the Race changes both the faces and the places.
What to Watch For Each Episode:
- Identify which teams still hold their Express Pass
- Note which task type triggers pass usage
- Track whether weaker teams leapfrog stronger ones
- Watch the Live Double U-Turn vote dynamics
- See who regrets an early pass burn
Express Pass Twist FAQ
Q: Did every team get an Express Pass in The Amazing Race Season 39?
Yes. Unlike previous seasons where teams earned a pass by winning an early leg, Season 39 gave every team an Express Pass at the start, which is exactly why the twist changed the strategic dynamic so dramatically.
Q: When is the best time to use the Express Pass?
Based on Phil Keoghan's comments, the best play is holding it until a leg where you are genuinely at risk. Teams that burned it early lost their safety net and tended to be eliminated later, while patient teams changed the endgame order.
Q: How did the twist affect stronger teams?
It removed predictability. Mid-pack and weaker teams could jump ahead of dominant racers, so strong teams could no longer count on simply winning leg after leg in the early race.
Q: Will the Express Pass twist return in Season 40?
Nothing is confirmed. Producers are debating options for the milestone Season 40, including second-chance teams, fan favorites, or winners returning. Fans have made clear they prefer real racers over professional reality contestants.