With The Amazing Race season 35, the 13 teams that make up the season 35 cast have returned to a previous practice on the competition show: booking their own flights.
You see, in the first 32 seasons of the show with a $1 million prize, rushing to the airport to catch a flight was a key part of the excitement. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic took over (and even halted filming of season 33), there was a major change to travel protocol: contestants traveled via private plane all together. Convenient? Yes. Lacking the drama of a rush-to-get-a-flight-over-another-team element? Also, yes.
After two seasons, the private plane has been grounded, meaning the teams of two must take flying into their own hands again.
Contestants don't exactly choose any flight. There are typically two or three flights reserved for players, with only a certain amount of seats on each one. So they must complete their tasks and haul it to the airport so they can get the earliest one to their next destination. As you can imagine, that can create huge gaps between teams as they make their way to the checkpoint.
I'm very happy that this practice is back for The Amazing Race season 35. It feels more like an authentic traveling experience. It means the show doesn't solely rely on what happens in the new countries — it's also a matter of getting there, too.
In the premiere episode, the first flight was from Los Angeles to Bangkok, Thailand. The first six teams were able to book the first flight out at 12:05 am, followed by the last seven teams flying out at 1:30 am. Kind of a big deal, right? Especially because this is likely a new place for contestants and those on the first flight have extra time in case they get turned around or struggle with a challenge.
I didn't realize that the book-your-own-flight factor was returning this season, and I have to say, it was a fabulous surprise. Sure, players travel via other modes of transportation that could easily get some ahead of others. But there's something about running through the airport. The finding out they didn't make the first flight. The realizing they'll be hours and hours behind. The stress that it causes us fans watching it all from the comfort of our couches.
The only downside to no longer having the private plane is that contestants know exactly where they're going. It used to be a bit of a mystery in seasons 33 and 34, but I'll trade those reactions (we get them when they receive their next clue, anyway) for the airport breakdowns that are sure to come on this season of The Amazing Race.
New episodes of The Amazing Race season 35 air live on Wednesdays on CBS at 9:30 pm ET/PT. Episodes become available to stream the next day on Paramount Plus.
