Many overseas flights on non-US carriers are cattle call. Learn the rules and play by them.

In China we did five internal flights. If you wanted carry-on space you needed to be aggressive. I was and it worked.

The worst flights were where they bussed you to the plane and all h@#% broke loose as soon as the doors opened. Even there, elbows and pushing saved the day.

Perhaps it ought not have to be that way, but it sometimes is. Life's too short to let that bother you.

Of late when time is not an issue I've taken to checking my main carry-on. It makes hanging around airports and boarding so much nicer. Overseas baggage limits prevent that though.