Southwest Airlines No Show for one leg of flight and they took my return ticket too! Sacramento California

 I agree with Robert . Southwest credits your unused fare if you cancel without a penalty for rebooking but mainly calling to cancel a flight is just polite. Someone else could benefit from the unused seat. Since you can't buy a round trip ticket on Southhwest I don't see the reason for canceling the return except that both flights are on the same confirmation number but if that is their rule then travel on another airline and pay ridiculous bagaage charges, seat location charges and all the others that add to the cost of your ticket as well as no refund and cancellation of your return if you miss the flight and don't call.

 No you don't want to hear the thoughts, because not all of the thoughts are going to agree with you.

What you are describing is what is known as "hidden city ticketing".  This is where people intentionally book flights with the intention of missing one or more of their legs of the flight in order to get a better "deal".

For example if they want to go from Point A to Point B, but it is cheaper if the "book" Point C to Point B and transfering in Point A.  So they skip the C to A leg and just want to get on at A.  Airlines are well aware of this, and in order to discourage this practice and EVERY airline has the same policy where if you miss one leg of your itinerary ALL remaining legs are cancelled.  I am not aware of a single airline that hasn't had this policy in place for many..many..many years.

Now, as for the cancellation.  Yes Southwest has changed their policy because basically people were taking advantage of the "Heck even if I don't call I still get flight credit".  They still have a very generous policy where all you have to do is call within 10 minutes of your departure time and still get credit. 

Unfortunatly whether or not your reason was legitimate, you are going to be "lumped" in with everyone else.  Where if they made an exception for you..then what happens to the next person they don't make an exception for.  Because EVERYONE has an excuse and thinks that they should be the exception.  Whether or not you can make a case on this policy change..probably not because it is listed in their terms..you just failed to read the terms you agreed to when you got the ticket.