Paul, although Chinese holidays are expensive, taxis out of (or even to) airports are the issue regardless. Not only in Guangzhou which I experienced similarly to Sharp but in other cities cabs take advantage of the incompetent enforcements all year round 24/7. In Changde (Hunan), for example, you either pay the flat 100 Yuan to or from the airport, or you are stuck. Having taken a taxi from downtown to the Changde airport on meter before, I know it is exactly twice as much just as in the OP's case in Guangzhou. The Hunan city is uncomparable to the giant Canton international metropolis, so it sucks to see all the people there ripped off and forced to have to accept what China has to offer. Clearly, local services are based on poor customer feedback in Peoples Republic just about everywhere.