It's not racial profiling if the same would be done for anybody else purchasing a one way ticket for cash. And I think it should be. What you describe, to me anyway, is suspicious. No matter if the person paying cash for a one way ticket (especially one not checking luggage) is green with purple polka dots, they should be considered suspicious, and should have been LONG before September 11, 2001.

It also might just be a man or woman who is flying to their new home and all their belongings are in the moving van, so they don't need any luggage, and they don't need a round trip ticket, and they paid cash for their ticket because they accidentally packed their credit cards.

HOWEVER, I would not want to take that chance.