Express Pass

Introduced in Season 17, the Express Pass, also called as the Pase Directo in the Latin American version and as the Fripass in the Norwegian version, allows a team to skip any task of their choosing without penalty and immediately receive the next clue. The pass can be used up through the eighth leg. The pass is awarded to the team who arrives at the Pit Stop first on the first leg (with some exceptions) of the race. If one team uses an Express Pass and that team is U-Turned, the U-Turn will have no effect on that team.

Starting from Season 22, the award for placing first in the first leg was two Express Passes (one for the team to use for themselves and one to give away before the fourth leg). This concept of the Express was used until Season 24, as it returned to only one Express Pass rewarded in Season 25.

Additionally, in Season 25, the Express Pass was rewarded and can be received as part of an optional searching task on the second leg. This mark the first time that team will receive the Express Pass without from Phil and other racers.

Uses of the Express Pass

 * Season 17: Jill & Thomas were awarded the first Express Pass for arriving to the Pit Stop first in Eastnor, England. They used it to skip the Sleds or Beds Detour in the fourth leg.
 * Season 18: Gary & Mallory were awarded the Express Pass for arriving to the Pit Stop first in Sydney, Australia. They used it at the end of the fifth leg (a double-length leg) at a roadblock when all other teams had already arrived and were working on the puzzle.
 * Australia Season 1: Sam & Renae were awarded the Express Pass for arriving to the Pit Stop first in Bali, Indonesia. They used it on the 3rd leg (Vietnam → Hong Kong, China → Macau, China) to skip the roadblock arrange the zodiac.
 * Season 19: Ernie & Cindy were awarded the Express Pass for arriving to the Pit Stop first in Taipei, Taiwan. They used it on the seventh leg (Malawi) to skip the detour (dugout or lugout).
 * Latin American Season 3: Felipe & Alejandro were awarded the Express Pass for arriving to the Pit Stop first in El Calafate, Argentina. They used it on the seventh leg (Chile) to skip an additional task in the Puritama Hot Springs.
 * Season 20: Rachel & Dave were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Santa Barbara, Argentina. They used it on the third leg (Argentina → Paraguay) to skip the detour (stacked up or strung out).
 * Norway Season 1: Cathrine & Michelle were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Jaipur, India. They used it to skip an additional task in leg 4 (India → Thailand).
 * Vietnam Season 1: Thanh Thủy & Minh Thoa were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Hanoi, Vietnam. They used it to skip the roadblock in leg 3 (Hoa Binh → Ninh Binh) but later got eliminated in the same leg.
 * Season 21: Natalie & Nadiya were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Surabaya, Indonesia. They used it to bypass the roadblock in leg 8 (Russia).
 * China Season 3: Liu Weiwei & Lei Sheng were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Yangcheng, China. They used it to bypass the detour (Screw This or Scrap That) in leg 7 (Anhui → Jiangsu). They became the first team to arrive the Pit Stop in 1st place after using the Express Pass.
 * Latin America Season 4: Renata & Ana Paula were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Brasíli, Brazil. They used it to bypass the detour in leg 8 (Bolivia).
 * Philippines Season 1: Marc & Kat were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Bontoc, Mountain Province, Philippines. They used it to bypass the roadblock in leg 5 (Benguet → Zambales).
 * Season 22: Jessica & John were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Motu Piti A'au, Bora Bora, French Polynesia; but however, in a new twist, an additional Express Pass shall be given to another team of their choosing before the end of the fourth leg. Jessica & John decided to give their other Express Pass to Dave & Connor while traveling from Bora Bora, French Polynesia to Christchurch, New Zealand in leg 3 (French Polynesia, France → New Zealand). Dave & Connor used it on the same leg to bypass the detour, and became the first team in the standard version to arrive the Pit Stop in 1st place after using the Express Pass. In the fourth leg, Jessica & John were eliminated while in possession of the Express Pass becoming the first team to do so.
 * Canada Season 1: Kristen & Darren were awarded 2 Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. They gave 1 to Vanessa & Celina, who used it in leg 4. However Kristen & Darren were eliminated in the same leg while in possession of the Express Pass.
 * Vietnam Season 2: Linh Chi & Phúc Vinh were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Saigon, Vietnam and they used it to bypass the Roadblock in leg 11
 * Season 23: Tim & Marie were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Iquique, Chile and they used it to bypass the detour at the fifth leg in Gdańsk, Poland. They gave the 2nd Express Pass to Nicole & Travis at the start of the fifth leg which they later used it to bypass detour at eighth leg in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
 * Latin America Season 5: Evelyn & Jorge were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Cartagena, Colombia. They gave the 2nd Express Pass to their compatriots Astrid & Aleja at the start of the fourth leg, and used it to bypass the second roadblock on Leg 3. Astrid & Aleja used it to bypass an additional task in the Club Universitario de Regatas during Leg 5.
 * Season 24: Jet & Cord were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Guangzhou, China and they used it to bypass the detour at the eighth leg in Bagnoregio, Italy. They gave the 2nd Express Pass to Caroline & Jennifer during the 2nd leg, who immediately used it to bypass the Roadblock.
 * The Amazing Race Vietnam: Cuộc Đua Kỳ Thú 2014 : Sơn Ngọc Minh & Mint were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Quang Ninh Province .They used it to bypass the U-turn in leg 5
 * Canada Season 2: Natalie & Meaghan were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. They used it to bypass the Detour in Leg 3 in Hong Kong. They gave the 2nd Express Pass to Pierre & Michel at the start of the fifth leg, who used it to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 6.
 * Australia Season 3: John & Murray were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in Geraldine, New Zealand. They used it to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 2 at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. They gave the 2nd Express Pass to Carla & Hereni at the leg 3 pit stop as the host Grant Bowler being mention at the pit start that the 2nd express pass was required to hand over the other teams by the end of leg 3. Carla & Hereni used their Express Pass to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 4.
 * Season 25: Adam & Bethany were awarded the Express Pass by taking the optional Express Pass searching task in Oxford, England. They used it to bypass the Detour on Leg 8.
 * Philippines Season 2: Vince & Ed were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Manila, Philippines. They used it to bypass the Route Information Task on Leg 4.
 * China 2nd version Season 1: Jin Dachuan & Liu Chang were awarded with two Express Passes for arriving at the pit stop first in New York, USA and they used their Express Pass to bypass the Detour after they were U-turned on Leg 3 in India . They gave the 2nd Express Pass to Zhang Tielin & Yueliang during the 3rd leg, and Zhang Tielin & Yueliang used their Express Pass to bypass the task at Eagle Films Studio on Leg 3.
 * Season 26: Jelani & Jenny were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the Pit Stop first in Tokyo, Japan. They used it to bypass the Detour on Leg 8. However, they were U-Turned by Matt & Ashley before reaching the U-Turn board, forcing them to go back and complete the other side of the Detour.
 * Canada Season 3: Hamilton & Michaelia were awarded with two Express Passes by taking the optional Express Pass searching task in Santiago, Chile. They immediately used theirs to bypass the Detour on Leg 2. They gave the second Express Pass to Brent & Sean on Leg 4, who used it to bypass the Route Marker task on Leg 7.
 * The Amazing Race Vietnam: Cuộc Đua Kỳ Thú 2015 : Ngọc Anh & Nhật Anh were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the pit stop first in Quang Ninh Province . They used it on the fifth leg (Luang Prabang, Laos) to skip an additional task in the Luang Prabang Night Market.
 * Season 27: Tanner & Josh were awarded the Express Pass for arriving at the Pit Stop first in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This Express Pass had a new twist: once they used it, they had to give it to another team, to be used on the following leg. They used it to bypass the Roadblock on Leg 4, then gave it to Denise & James Earl, who used it to bypass the Detour on Leg 5.

Double Express Pass
Starting from season 22, the first place team in the first leg was awarded with two Express Passes. One is for them to use while the other has to be given to another team before the end of a designated leg (fourth leg for season 22, fifth leg for subsequent season). The Double Express Pass was continued until Season 24.

Latin America season 5, Australia season 3, Canada seasons and China (2nd version) season 1 were the only international versions to give the Double Express Pass.

Trivia

 * All teams that won the Express Pass (except Thanh Thủy & Minh Thoa, Renata & Ana Paula, Natalie & Nadiya, Jessica & John, and Kristen & Darren) entered into the final leg of the race. However, the first two teams in the American version and first team in the Norwegian Version to win the Express Pass placed third and the first team in Australia and in the Latin American version placed second. Ernie & Cindy (Season 19) were the first team to win the race after winning the Express Pass, followed by Rachel & Dave (Season 20).
 * Rachel & Dave were the first team to win 8 legs and The Amazing Race with an Express Pass and a Fast Forward.
 * In Season 2 of the Australian version, the Express Pass was replaced by the Salvage Pass.
 * Thanh Thủy & Minh Thoa were the first team to win the Express Pass and be eliminated first.
 * Marc & Kat were the first team to win both the Express Pass and the Salvage Pass.
 * Jessica & John were the first team to get eliminated while in possession of the Express Pass, followed very quickly by Kristen & Darren.
 * Natalie & Meaghan were the first team to use their Express Pass before giving the second Express Pass to another team. They were quickly followed by John & Murray.
 * In Season 25, the Express Pass is replaced by The Save as the prize for arriving first in the first leg. The Express Pass is still used in the season, but is however retrieved as part of an optional searching task within the second leg. The Canadian version also did this in its third season.
 * In Season 27, a new twist was added that saw the single Express Pass act as a double Express Pass. Once used, the recipient team had to immediately give it to another team, to be used on the following leg.
 * In Season 28, a single Express Pass will be in 6th leg this time as the prize arriving the first in the sixth leg. A new twist was added that saw the single Express Pass. In the season, the recipient will must be use the Express Pass once, so the recipient team had to give it to another team, to be used before the 11th leg.