Backup not visible in Time Capsule using Migration Assistant

I have just bought a new MacBook Air and would like to migrate a large amount of data to it sourced from my iMac. The simplest way appears to be (or should be) to use the Time Capsule. However, Migration Assistant cannot see the backup of my iMac (which runs Mavericks). It can see the backup of my wife's MacBook (running Snow Leopard).
When I first started, Migration Assistant did briefly display the backup of my iMac but would not let me access it, saying (something like) it was in use by another computer. Since then I have tried all sort of tricks, including switching time machine off on the iMac, disconnecting from the Time Capsule and so on. I have also run Disk Utility and repaired the volume. None of this has made a difference to the problem with Migration Assistant, but I have also been in & out of Time Machine (the 'Star Wars view') on the iMac in the process, and noticed that it is erratic in terms of whether or not it displays my previous backups.
An obvious solution to setting up the MBA will be to get hold of an appropriate cable to migrate files directly from the iMac. However I am now a bit concerned about the erratic behaviour of Time Machine on the iMac and it feels as though I ought to solve that problem as well rather than ignore it.
I have spent a bit of time looking at other discussions here and have not found any answers, although I think I can rule out this explanation: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5125969?tstart=0 - as I have checked and TM does indeed seem to be backing up my Library etc.
I'd be grateful for any advice.
Thanks

It is sadly what we find.. that Mavericks just doesn't do Time Machine as reliably as it should.. but the issue could be network.
How were you backing up the iMac before you got the TC? If you had a USB drive plugged in and used that, then plug that USB drive into the MBA and that will probably work a lot better.. it eliminates the network part of the issue at least.
TM does work better to local drives.
Otherwise then I have a few steps for you to try and get access to the iMac backup on the TC.
Mostly you won't like them.
1. Full factory reset. This will not mess with your backups.. ie nothing is deleted but you will have to reset TM to point it to the right place.
The Factory Reset universal
Unplug your TC/AE. Hold in reset. and power the TC/AE back on..  all without releasing reset and keep holding in for about 10sec. The time is not important.. it is the front LED rapid flashing that indicates you are in factory mode.
Release reset.
If it doesn’t flash rapidly you have released reset at some point and try again.
Be Gentle! Feel the switch click on. It has a positive feel..  add no more pressure after that.
TC/AE will reboot after a couple of minutes with default factory settings and will wipe out previous configurations.
No files are deleted on the hard disk.. No reset of the TC deletes files.. to do that you use erase from the airport utility.
2. When you redo the setup of the TC, use only names that are short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric. For everything.
Even the computers really should have share names that also met that.
3. Manually mount the TC in the MBA,
In Finder use the top menu Go, and Connect to Server.
by typing,
AFP://TCname.local (where TCname is your new short name. local is the default domain)
You can use AFP://TCIPaddress (where TCIPaddress is the actual IP of the TC. eg by default in router mode, 10.0.1.1 you would type AFP://10.0.1.1)
The computer will ask for the password when it finds the network resources of the TC. type that in, public by default but the utility forces you to change it now.
Don't forget to save this password in your keychain.
With the TC now correctly mounted, attempt again to migrate the data. When you migrate do not use the same user name as you used on the iMac.. that will cause a mess.. it is better to have a different name.. that you are logged in under. See the info in pondini.
http://pondini.org/OSX/MigrateLion.html
Follow all his instructions.. although the guy who wrote it died before Mavericks was widely available, most of what he wrote here should apply.
Just one more thing I forgot.. ipv6 must be set correctly to link-local .. do not leave it on automatic.
So for example in wireless on the computer.
If you use ethernet on the iMac also set it on ethernet advanced settings.

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