I have been trying to help a friend who is in
Australia right now and was thinking of purchasing a ticket with the following stops
(/=surface)
per-syd-chc/akl-hkg-hel-lkl-hel-osl-arn/hel-jfk-dfw-anc-dfw-jfk-sjo-jfk-lim/lpb-scl-puq-scl-gig-jfk-hkg-dps-sin-bkk-per

The Qantas One World people are saying this is backtracking - specifically going from South America to Asia. Like beauty, I realise backtracking is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. I have had one agent at AA one world desk tell me EUR-ASIA-AFRICA-OZ was backtracking, only to call 10 minutes later and get another agent to approve my revised trip.

1) So where did my friend sin in the above itinerary?

2) could someone please explain the definition of areas 1, 2, and 3 for me as stated in the rule below:

TRAVEL MUST BE IN A CONTINUOUS FORWARD
DIRECTION BETWEEN AREA 1-AREA 2-AREA 3.

Thanks.