MyPompeii card

Nobody skips the security line. Like all entrance tickets purchased in advance, the card will let you skip the line to buy tickets on the day.

There aren't other lines you can try to skip.

Thank you. Lots of tour groups advertise "skip the line" with their tour. I assume this just means "we already have the tickets" so you don't need to wait to purchase them. As such, the MyPompeii card should give us the same benefit. Am I thinking correctly?
Thanks for your help!

The only benefit is you have the ticket in hand
You still have to wait in security line

You can get the same benefit by purchasing your Pompeii ticket online in advance from the official site

http://pompeiisites.org/en/

35 euros? vs 18 euros

My Pompeii card is good for a year-will you be using it more than once?

I have no idea what Tour Groups mean. For sure Pompeii works like most museums all over the world: there isn't a 3rd mysterious line a private company can make you skip.

You should ask them if they have access to a separate, shorter security line reserved for their customers. In this case paying more would make sense on some days.

Lots of tour groups advertise "skip the line" with their tour.

Christine and Dario have it right: the whole "skip the line" thing is to make tourists feel like it's a benefit they can ONLY have with a tour. It's a marketing ploy. In most cases, in most places, all you have to do to avoid ticket lines is to order your tickets in advance. No one skips security-check queues anywhere, and they tend to move very quickly.

That doesn't mean that tours don't provide other benefits, such as guiding a group through a confusing maze of streets or imparting information. You just don't need one to get around ticket lines.

I would not buy the MyPompeii annual card if you're not planning on using it multiple times. Christine provided the website for ordering advance tickets on your own. That site also provides a comprehensive, 142-page guide in English for advance reading up or downloading for self-touring.

http://pompeiisites.org/wp-content/uploads/A-Guide-to-the-Pompeii-Excavations-2.pdf

Thank you everyone!
I bought my Pompeii tickets for $18 on the official site and my son gets in for free. It doesn't get much better than that!

YAY!!! Glad you got what you needed, and for a good price!

Editing to add: I don't know how far you've gotten with ordering tickets for attractions in Rome but your under-age-18 son will also be entitled to free entry at most Italian state and archeological museums, although there might be a small pre-reservation fee involved, or a cost for tours.

now you're cooking