I agree about expiration dates on miles/points. The worst part is that with some programs, you have no idea what their rules are unless you read some very fine print.

At least with most big airlines, expiration dates for your miles are easily found on the main screen with your mileage balance. With some hotel and car programs, it's buried in the fine print. I lost some Alamo points like this about 4 years ago and now I consider an Alamo rental only after considering several other companies. I've heard stories about HHonors points vanishing, but we were able to redeem about 50,000 points out of my wife's two-year-dormant account a couple of months ago.

Fortunately I do enough Hertz business that I won't lose my ZE1 points. But I will be careful to redeem them in a timely manner when/if I stop renting cars altogether.