Here's the email I received, on September the 8th (yeah, 3 months ago):

We’re sorry to inform you that there has been a time change to your Ryanair booking. If you’re travelling with others, please inform them of the changes.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. Please find new details of your flight(s) below.

As detailed below, you can choose between accepting the new departure time or changing your flight for free.

which follows with the 2 options

1. Accept flight(s) time change

2. Change your flight for free

   • You can choose to change your flight to the next available flight on the same route or to a flight departing one day before or one day after your new departure time. There are no flight change fees and you do not have to pay any fare difference.

   • Click here to contact our Customer Service team (subject to opening hours) if you wish to avail of the free change option.

   • Please note that any changes exceeding the above periods will be subject to flight change fees and additional fare difference (if applicable).

Please note that Ryanair is not liable for any prepaid expenses directly or indirectly related to your booking as a result of this time change.

If you have purchased other products with us (e.g. car hire, transfers, parking, etc.) and you need to make changes, please contact the providers directly.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise again for the inconvenience caused by the change to your flight(s).

Thank you for choosing Ryanair and we look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.

Yours sincerely,

The Ryanair Customer Service Team

So far I've not taken any action, assuming that silence means accepting option 1, because I was relatively ok with the new time.

But for recent circumstances I'd rather reschedule the flight. But the point is that "the above periods" they mention give really little option, as they have no other flight within that day, a 9:45am and a 7:05pm flight the day before (which is tomorrow) and a 9:25am flight the day after.

Can they really legally be so strict in proposing the alternatives?

As regards the Ryanair flight FR1474 from London Stansted @ 18:55 to Naples Italy, here's the email I received, on September the 8th (yeah, 3 months ago):

We’re sorry to inform you that there has been a time change to your Ryanair booking. If you’re travelling with others, please inform them of the changes.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. Please find new details of your flight(s) below.

As detailed below, you can choose between accepting the new departure time or changing your flight for free.

which follows with the 2 options

1. Accept flight(s) time change

2. Change your flight for free

   • You can choose to change your flight to the next available flight on the same route or to a flight departing one day before or one day after your new departure time. There are no flight change fees and you do not have to pay any fare difference.

   • Click here to contact our Customer Service team (subject to opening hours) if you wish to avail of the free change option.

   • Please note that any changes exceeding the above periods will be subject to flight change fees and additional fare difference (if applicable).

Please note that Ryanair is not liable for any prepaid expenses directly or indirectly related to your booking as a result of this time change.

If you have purchased other products with us (e.g. car hire, transfers, parking, etc.) and you need to make changes, please contact the providers directly.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise again for the inconvenience caused by the change to your flight(s).

Thank you for choosing Ryanair and we look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.

Yours sincerely,

The Ryanair Customer Service Team

So far I've not taken any action, assuming that silence means accepting option 1, because I was relatively ok with the new time.

But for recent circumstances I'd rather reschedule the flight. But the point is that "the above periods" they mention give really little option, as they have no other flight within that day, a 9:45am and a 7:05pm flight the day before (which is tomorrow) and a 9:25am flight the day after.

Can they really legally be so strict in proposing the alternatives?